The River Cafe's Torta di Limone, as made by John

Luckily I was spared the responsibility of making pudding for Christmas lunch, as my good friend John had already decided that he would make a rather magnificent looking Torta di Limone from the River Cafe Cookbook. I must confess to having a weakness for Lemon Tart, but an even bigger one for Lemon Meringue Pie which was something my Mother used to make on Sunday afternoons. This tart used an extraordinary amount of eggs; 18 to be precise, and the skilled hand to make a fine, crisp pastry for the base. I admit that making pastry isn't really my forte as it is something I really have to work quite hard at to get right (I think that might apply to baking too to some degree - you are either fabulous at it and gifted like Hannah, or text book and clumsy like me). John set to work on the pastry as I looked on, but I did get a bit involved with the beautiful egg filling that frightened us both with its unnatural amounts of egg, butter and fresh lemon juice that threatened to split at any minute.
Grabbing the bull by the horns, we soldiered on the create the most sublime lemon custard that would grace the very fine pastry base. It was back into the oven to burnish the tart, and that was it - et voila!, a tart worthy of any fine dinner table, and a delicious way to finish a meal.

Here's another Rive Cafe Lemon Tart recipe using Marscapone:
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1687696,00.html