Lemon Cheese Cakes (Lemon Curd Tarts)

These traditional Parsi-style "Cheese Cakes" are actually delightful lemon curd tarts encased in flaky puff pastry, a classic colonial-era confection where "lemon cheese" referred to fruit curd. The filling is a rich, glossy mixture of fresh lemon juice, zest, eggs, and butter, cooked to a custard-like consistency before being baked in crisp pastry shells. Topped with decorative pastry twists, they offer a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and buttery flavors that pair beautifully with afternoon tea.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds Powdered sugar (Sifted. Originally 'Ratal Sava' (1.25 lbs). This makes a very sweet, traditional preserve-style curd.)
3 yolks Eggs (Separate the yolks from the whites.)
2 whites Eggs (Use whites from the separated eggs.)
3 whole Lemons (Juiced. You will need the juice of 3 lemons.)
2 lemons Lemon zest (Finely chopped or grated peel of 2 lemons.)
4 tablespoons Butter (Originally '5 tolas' (approx 58g). Plus extra for greasing the tins.)
1 package Puff pastry (Thawed if frozen. Originally referenced a separate recipe for puff paste.)

Instructions

1Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease small tart tins or a muffin tray with butter. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out circles large enough to line the bottom and sides of your tins. Place the pastry into the tins and trim the edges cleanly with a knife.
2In a mixing bowl, first mix the sifted sugar thoroughly with the 2 egg whites. Then, add the 3 egg yolks and mix very well until combined.
3Transfer the egg mixture to a saucepan (or double boiler). Add the 4 tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over low heat (originally 'on embers'), stirring continuously. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly to a curd consistency. Do not let it become too hard or scramble the eggs. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
4Once the curd is cool, fill the prepared pastry-lined tins up to the brim. Roll out any remaining puff pastry thinly and cut into narrow strips (about 1/4 inch wide). Twist the strips gently. Moisten the edges of the filled tarts with a little water, then place two twisted strips over the top in a cross shape ('chokdi'), pressing the ends onto the wet rim to seal.
5Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and the tops are a pale golden red color.