Lemon Tart
intro
Buttery, flaky shortcrust shell filled with silky, tangy-sweet lemon curd, a classic elegant dessert with bright, fresh, balanced flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Make shortcrust pastry
In a food processor, combine 190g all-purpose flour, 50g powdered sugar, and 1g fine sea salt, pulsing 2-3 times to evenly mix. Add 113g ice-cold, cubed unsalted butter, pulsing 8-10 times until the mixture forms coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces. Add 1 large egg yolk, pulsing 4-5 times until the dough just clumps together when squeezed. Turn dough onto plastic wrap, shape into a 2.5cm (1-inch) thick disk, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Blind bake tart shell
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm (1/8-inch) thick, 28cm (11-inch) diameter circle. Gently lay the dough into a 23cm (9-inch) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing firmly into the base and fluted sides, then trim excess overhang. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill with 500g (2 cups) of ceramic pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then lift out the parchment and weights, and bake 5 more minutes until the crust is pale golden and fully set. Let cool completely on a wire rack for 20 minutes before adding filling.
Mix lemon curd base
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together 150g granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 4 whole large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, and 180ml fresh strained lemon juice until completely smooth and evenly combined. Set the bowl over a small saucepan filled with 5cm (2 inches) of gently simmering water to create a double boiler, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water surface.
Cook thick lemon curd
Stir the curd mixture constantly with a silicone spatula over medium-low heat (maintaining a gentle simmer, no rolling boil) for 8-10 minutes, until the curd thickens to a pudding-like consistency that coats the back of the spatula, reaching 77°C (170°F) on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bowl from heat, stir in 85g room-temperature cubed unsalted butter one piece at a time until fully melted and incorporated. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps or cooked egg bits for a silky texture.
Fill and bake tart
Pour the warm, strained lemon curd directly into the cooled pre-baked tart shell, spreading it evenly to the edges with a small offset spatula. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F). Bake the tart for 10-12 minutes, until the outer 5cm (2 inches) of the filling are fully set, but the central 5cm (2 inches) has a soft, Jell-O-like jiggle. Avoid overbaking, as this will cause the curd to crack and turn rubbery as it cools.
Chill and finish tart
Remove the baked tart from the oven, let it cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours (4 hours preferred) until the curd is fully set. Right before serving, dust the top lightly with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar, and garnish with thin lemon slices or edible spring pansies if desired. Slice into 8 even pieces to serve.
Tips
2.Never let the lemon curd reach a rolling boil while cooking, as high heat will curdle the eggs and create a grainy, lumpy texture.
3.For clean, neat slices, chill the tart for a full 4 hours before cutting, and wipe your knife blade with a warm, damp cloth between each slice.
OMG this lemon tart is chef’s kiss!!! I made it for my book club potluck last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. The crust is buttery and flaky, the filling is perfectly tart not too sweet, I added a tiny dollop of whipped cream and some fresh blueberries on top for serving. 10/10 will be making this for every summer gathering from now on!
Never thought I could pull off a fancy French dessert but this recipe was way more doable than I expected! My wife has been craving lemon tart ever since our trip to Paris last year, and she said this tasted exactly like the one we had at that little bistro by the Seine. Only note: make sure you set aside enough time for the chilling step, I almost cut into it too early and ruined the set!
Solid lemon tart recipe! I used meyer lemons from my neighbor’s tree instead of regular lemons and it gave the filling such a nice, bright, slightly floral note. Will definitely keep this in my regular rotation for Sunday family dinners.
Y’all I messed up the first batch of curd because I had the heat too high and scrambled the eggs 😭 Tried again on low heat, whisked nonstop, and it came out perfectly! My roommates devoured half the tart before it even finished chilling. SO good, worth the extra effort even for a beginner like me.
Game changer alert!!! I brought this to my office potluck yesterday and it was the first dessert gone, beat out the usual chocolate chip cookies and brownies by a mile. The balance of sweet and sour is spot on, not cloying at all like some lemon tarts I’ve tried.
Super easy to adapt for gluten free! I swapped the regular all purpose flour for a 1:1 GF baking flour in the crust, and it came out perfectly crisp, no weird gritty texture at all. My whole family (even the non-GF eaters) loved it.
I’ve been making lemon tarts for 40+ years, and this recipe is right up there with the classic versions I learned in culinary school. The ratio of lemon juice to butter to eggs in the curd is perfect, no adjustments needed.
My kids are so picky about desserts, they usually only eat neon colored popsicles or store bought cupcakes, but they went crazy for this lemon tart! My 7 year old even asked for a second slice before he finished his first. Only change I made was adding a little extra powdered sugar on top because my kids like things a touch sweeter.
Made this for my mom’s birthday brunch and she teared up a little, said it was better than the lemon tart her grandma used to make. I served it with fresh raspberries and a side of vanilla whipped cream, and it looked so fancy everyone thought I bought it from a fancy patisserie.
Wait, can you make this ahead of time for weeknight treats? I want to have slices ready to go after dinner but I’m worried the crust will get soggy if it sits in the fridge for a few days. Love how straightforward the ingredient list is, though!
I used leftover shortcrust from my quiche recipe to make this and it worked like a charm! The tang from the sourdough crust paired so well with the bright lemon filling, I’m never going back to regular shortcrust for tarts.
Hmm, my filling came out way runny even after chilling for the full 3 hours? I followed the measurements exactly, not sure what I did wrong. The flavor was amazing, but the texture was off, like lemon pudding instead of a firm tart filling.
Brought this to a college football tailgate last weekend and people were going back for thirds. Who knew a fancy French tart would be a hit at a tailgate next to all the burgers and wings? 10/10, will be making this for every game day from now on.
I tested a vegan version of this using aquafaba in the curd and coconut butter instead of dairy butter, and it was surprisingly close to the original! The lemon flavor is so bright that the swaps barely came through, my non-vegan roomie had no idea it was plant based.
I was intimidated because this is marked medium difficulty, but it was way easier than I thought! The steps are broken down really clearly, and I didn’t have any fancy equipment, just a regular mixing bowl and a whisk, and it came out perfect. Save yourself the $8 a slice from the bakery and make this at home, y’all.
I may have eaten two slices for dinner last night. No regrets. The tart, buttery, sweet combo is so addictive, I had to physically put the rest in the back of the fridge so I wouldn’t finish the whole thing in one sitting.
Made this for my dinner party last night and got so many compliments! The only heads up I have for other bakers: make sure your butter is cold when you make the crust, I used slightly softened butter the first time and the crust shrank a ton in the oven. Second batch with ice cold butter came out perfect.