Zesty Banana Tart

A shortbread-like base with a tangy banana topping makes this tart tops! Recipe serves 9.

Ingredients:

6 ounces (185 g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose (plain) lour
Lattice:
1 cup ground almonds
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Topping:
3 long ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup lemon curd
1/4 cup lime marmalade, warmed
Julienne strips of lemon rind and fresh mint leaves, to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a 8 inch (20 cm) square, shallow slab cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
2. For the base, beat the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add the grated lemon rind; sift the flour over and mix well. Squeeze the mixture together to form a firm dough.
3. Press and mould the mixture evenly over the base and 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the prepared tin. Prick well. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Meanwhile, make the lattice. Put the almonds, icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice into a bowl. Beat together until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1 cm) star nozzle.
5. Pipe a lattice grid (3 x 3) on top of the baked base and a border around the top edge. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the lattice is golden brown. Stand the tin on a wire cooling rack to cool.
6. Transfer the latticed base to a serving plate. Gently mix the banana slices with half the lemon juice. Spoon the lemon curd into each section of the lattice. Arrange the banana slices on top. Mix the remaining lemon juice with the warm marmalade. Spoon or brush the marmalade mixture over the bananas to coat completely. Decorate with julienne of lemon rind and mint leaves.