Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz butter
• melted in a saucepan
• 100g/3½oz icing sugar
• sifted
• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz egg whites
• 200g/7oz currants
• 225g/8oz flour
• plus extra for dusting
• pinch of salt
• 1 lemon
• zest only
• 150g/5½oz butter
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 1 free-range egg
• 9 free-range egg yolks
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 500ml/17fl oz whipping cream
• freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• First
• make the biscuits. Mix together the butter
• icing sugar and flour until smooth. Slowly add the egg whites
• stirring
• until they are completely incorporated
• then fold in the currants. The dough will be quite wet. Place in a small bowl and chill for at least one hour.
• Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
• and spread the mixture out. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Bake the biscuits for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. While soft cut into slices with a sharp knife. Leave to cool
• then keep in an airtight tin.
• For the pastry
• rub together the flour
• salt
• lemon zest and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar
• then beat together the egg yolk and whole egg and slowly add these
• mixing until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for two hours.
• Turn the oven down to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm/one eighth-in thickness. Use to line an 18cm/7in flan ring placed on a baking sheet. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans
• then bake blind for about 10 minutes or until the pastry is starting to turn golden brown. Remove the paper and beans
• and allow to cool.
• Turn the oven down to 130C/250F/Gas1.
• For the filling
• whisk together the yolks and sugar. Add the cream and mix well. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan and heat to blood temperature.
• Fill the pastry case with the custard
• until 5mm/¼in from the top. Carefully place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard appears set but not too firm. Remove from the oven and cover the surface liberally with grated nutmeg. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Before serving
• warm the biscuits through in the oven for 5 minutes. Cut the tart with a sharp knife and serve with the biscuits.