Lion Tart

I was browsing aimlessly around the internet and came across a pie that had a cat face done with pastry. Immediately, I was drawn to it. A few days later and several YouTube videos on how to draw lions and hundreds of Google Images of ‘kind lion’ and ‘wise lion’ and ‘Aslan’, I decided that I would dip my toe into template making after years of using what was available out there. Can you tell that I am not a risk taker?

Let me tell you it was no easy task for me – I have no natural talent in drawing. I’m great a replicating something that’s in front of me but coming up with something on my own is a nightmare. My housemate was very helpful though – after a few pointers on how I had to look at objects as shapes rather than things and copy the shape I finally came up with a reasonable template that I was happy with. Template now available for download here.

Then came the actual tart baking. I had some leftover lemon curd from my previous project and decided to make another lemon tart – this time with a sweet shortcrust pastry – recipe as shown here.

After making the tart the usual way, it was time for the fun part – the lion! To make him, I first decided that I would cut everything free hand and just refer to the template. Results below.

It took a long time. I suggest you start early in the morning if you want to photograph your project in daylight.

I decided the pieces for the face did not cut it and I was bad a free-hand shortcrust pastry cutting. Decided to cut out pieces of the template to use as a stencil and remade his face.

The lion’s face still was not how I envisioned him after all of that effort! In my template I felt his expression was exactly right but I just could not for the life of me replicate it in pastry. I am sorry to say that I was a quitter – I stopped at two tries. I plonked all the pieces onto my lemon tart and voila – lion tart. Kinda.

Overall, not perfect but it was a great learning project. I usually shy away from drawing and creating so this really pushed me beyond my comfort zone. I am also suddenly very strangely drawn to animals as inspiration now. Hopefully I do the next animal justice.