Lemons have always been my favourite. Mum said when I was little, I once bit into a lemon like an apple. Maybe that’s what started it all.
The humble lemon tart is something I never thought I would eat again with the eggs involved (not to mention the dairy and sugar) but then I discovered agar agar and wondered if it could just happen for me.
Turns out it could. I started experimenting and here we are with a delicious lemon tart. The lemon component was the easy part. What I really struggled with was a complimentary base that wouldn’t overpower the delicate lemon. It didn’t need a raw cake base, it needed more of a shortbread-type base.
This no-bake lemon tart is incredibly easy to make. It takes about 10 minutes to prep and needs 1-2 hours in the fridge to set. I don’t know why I don’t make it more frequently.
No-bake lemon tart
Makes 9 large slices or 12 smaller slices
For the base
1 1/4 cup almond meal
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
3 tbsp coconut oil
Zest from 1 lemon
For the filling
2 2/3 cup filtered water
1 tbsp agar agar powder
1/3 cup arrowroot flour/starch
5 medium sized lemons, juiced
Pinch turmeric
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut milk
Mix all the base ingredients together in a bowl until coconut oil is evenly mixed through. Spread out in a lined tin or dish and refrigerate until needed.
Whisk arrowroot into lemon juice then add turmeric, maple and coconut milk and continue to whisk until combined. Set aside.
Add the agar agar to the filtered water and gently heat, stirring until agar is dissolved. Once you have reached this point, add the lemon-arrowroot mix and whisk continuously over a medium heat. After about 8 minutes, it should start to hold together. If it doesn’t, keep it over the heat a little longer.
Pour the lemon mix on top of the base and return the dish to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until set. When set, slice and plate. Serve on its own or with a scoop of vanilla or coconut-flavoured ice cream.
Kale Mary 