Her results - Lancaster Lemon Tart

There's nothing quite like avoiding the cool, rainy weather outside by sitting in your bed in PJs and eating pie.

I can best describe this dessert as:

• cohesively crumby and almost cakelike;
  
• only barely sweet;
  
• quite lemony but not tart;
  
• made of nuts but hardly nutty tasting;
• comforting and filling but not decadent.

I chose to make pie because it reminds me both of home and my pie fiend boyfriend. In my home state of Kentucky, we most often eat cream pies (chocolate, coconut and butterscotch), derby pies, pecan pies, and buttermilk/translucent pies. And that's only the tip of the iceberg!

English pies are altogether different. They're much less sugary and showy. I agree that this could be a good introduction to English desserts for anyone who's curious. I think the traditional Bakewell Tart might be an even better choice for a newcomer. I really like this tart, but it might act as ammunition for those who like to claim that British food is boring. This pie isn't bland, but it's just a nice simple lemony dessert. A Bakewell Tart has a more complex balance of sweet fruitiness and nuttiness.

I had two firsts while making this: I made my first lemon curd and my first traditional pastry piecrust. The curd came out great; I can't wait to have the remains on biscuits or toast. The crust is pretty nice. It's absolutely delicious along the vertical edge, but a little odd on the bottom. I think my dish was perhaps a little too big so the pastry at the bottom is a little too thin. If you make this, use a small pie dish if you have one.