It’s been a confusing week, but this recipe feels like a small treasure. Using the spelt sweet shortcrust pastry (pâte sucrée) I posted previously and filling it with a thick, silky lemon curd produces a lovely spelt tarte au citron. The tart balances bright, sharp citrus with a soft, crumbly sweet spelt crust — an elegant patisserie-style dessert perfect for afternoon tea or as a light after-dinner treat.
The Human Experience
This week has been a rollercoaster of feelings, from buoyant optimism to low anxiety. Monday began full of plans: freelance tasks to arrange, a photoshoot to organise, a job application to finish, an exhibition display to prepare, personal artwork to complete and blog posts to write — plus evening commitments nearly every night. By contrast, Sunday night is the only evening I’ll be home all week.
Self-expression has been both comforting and challenging. Some days it felt impossible to look beyond a social feed without feeling overwhelmed. I held back from confronting a friend because I feared miscommunicating my anger, which only made me feel worse.
Still, I’ve taken opportunities as they came. I visited the opera twice this week to see performances of Die Zauberflöte, and those evenings filled me with genuine joy and warmth. This morning, though, I found it hard to write: an anxious knot in my stomach kept pulling me back toward the comfort of the familiar.
Motivational Truths
“You can’t fall if you don’t climb… but there’s no joy living life on the ground.”Someone with unrealistic expectations.
That kind of motivational slogan sounds inspiring, but it can be misleading. It implies constant striving is the only path to fulfilment, which ignores the necessary balance of rest and preparation. Mountain climbers don’t spend every moment on a peak; they train, sleep, eat, rest and only sometimes climb. Much of their lives — the planning and the waiting — happens on the ground, and that time is essential.
There is joy to be found between climbs: in stillness, softness and small routines. Trying to scale something every hour of every day leads to exhaustion and missed footholds. That describes how this week felt for me — I kept pushing from dawn until late, and eventually I started to lose energy. Accepting that I’m human and can’t always be climbing is part of staying whole.
Spelt Tarte au Citron
By Gavin Wren
5/51
Serves 4-6
Uses a 7″ loose-bottom flan tin, rolling pin, bowl scraper, baking paper and baking beads.
Ingredients
For the spelt shortcrust pastry:
125g white spelt flour, plus extra for dusting.
25g golden caster sugar
Pinch salt
60g butter
1 medium egg, beaten
You can also make this recipe using ready-made shortcrust pastry.
For the lemon curd filling:
Zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
70ml lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
130g golden caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
175g unsalted butter
Directions
You can find a full guide to making sweet shortcrust pastry, with step-by-step photos, in the original blog post referenced by the recipe author.
Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.
Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beaten egg and mix; the dough will become sticky.
Turn the pastry onto a floured surface, dust as needed and knead briefly — about a minute — until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour, preferably 3, until firm.
Roll the pastry on a floured surface to a circle about 5–7mm thick. It may crack; press cracks back together as you work. Line a 7″ flan tin, trim the edges and chill the case for 30–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 350°F / 177°C (157°C fan).
To make the lemon curd, whisk the eggs and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the lemon zest, juice and butter, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Line the chilled pastry case with scrunched baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the beans and paper, then bake a further 10 minutes. Allow the pastry case to cool on a rack.
When both the curd and the pastry case are cool, pour the curd into the case, gently level it and tap to release any bubbles. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until set.
Once set, slice and serve. The tart keeps well refrigerated for a couple of days and makes a refined, bright dessert that celebrates the nutty character of spelt alongside tangy lemon curd.
