Lemon Tart Recipe
This lemon tart pairs a buttery shortbread crust with a bright, silky lemon curd filling. Based on the classic French tarte au citron, my simplified version is elegant enough for a dinner party, and straightforward enough for any occasion.
Servings 8 slices
Calories 465kcal
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 tablespoons cold heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (150g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces (113g)
For the Curd
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed (113g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (120ml, 3-4 lemons)
Instructions
For the Tart Crust:
- Whisk the egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter. Work the butter in with a pastry cutter or your clean hands. Once you have a crumbly mixture with roughly pea-sized pieces of butter throughout you can drizzle in the yolk cream mixture. Mix together with a fork or knife.
- Knead the dough together in the bowl a few times, just to bring it together into one ball. Then shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for about an hour.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough into a circle then transfer to a 9-inch tart pan (one with a removable base is preferable). Press the dough into the pan and up the sides, and trim any excess flush with the top edge of the pan. Pierce the crust all over the bottom with the times of a fork. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
- While the crust is freezing, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Place the frozen crust on a baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a light golden color. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
For the Lemon Curd Filling:
- While the tart crust bakes, in a medium bowl combine the eggs and yolks then whisk together. Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Set both aside.
- In a medium pot, combine the sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice and place over medium heat. Stir often until the butter is melted and the mixture just starts bubbling, then remove from heat. Slowly drizzle the hot butter mixture into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the pot and place it over low heat, gently whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and just starts to bubble, about 170F. (Your curd is done once it coats the back of a wooden spoon; you can swipe a finger across and a track will be left in the curd.)
- Strain the curd through the sieve into the bowl to remove any potential clumps of cooked egg. Then, pour the curd into your tart shell and smooth the surface. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edge is just set. Let the tart cool for an hour at room temperature, then refrigerate it for 2 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- The crust can puff a bit after baking. Just use a measuring cup to press the crust back into place. And if needed, coax the crust back up the side if it sank a bit.
- The lemon curd will thicken more as it cools. As long as you do the spoon test and the line holds, the curd will be thick enough once it backs and cools for slicing.
- How do I get clean slices? A hot knife. Run a long, sharp knife under hot water, dry it, and slice. Wipe between cuts. The heat melts through the curd cleanly instead of dragging it. A serrated knife will tear the curd; use a chef's knife or a tart-slicing knife.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 220mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 982IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg