Description
This classic French Lemon Tart, or Tarte au Citron, features a smooth, creamy lemon filling balanced perfectly between sweet and tart, nestled in a crisp and buttery sweet tart crust called Pâte Sucrée. The recipe is straightforward and produces elegant, melt-in-your-mouth slices that are just set enough to cut neatly, making it an ideal dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Tart Crust
- 1 sweet tart crust (Pâte Sucrée)
For the Lemon Filling
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 12 tbsp / 170g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm (1/2") cubes
- 3 whole large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
Instructions
- Prepare the Tart Crust: Blind bake the sweet tart crust (Pâte Sucrée) according to your recipe or package instructions until golden and fully cooked. Let it cool completely to ensure a crisp base for the lemon filling.
- Combine Ingredients: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks until smooth and well blended.
- Cook the Lemon Curd: Add the cubed unsalted butter to the mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent curdling or splitting. Continue gently cooking until the mixture thickens to a smooth, creamy custard consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
- Fill the Tart Shell: Pour the warm lemon curd filling evenly into the cooled tart crust, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Chill the Tart: Refrigerate the tart for several hours or until fully set. This ensures the filling firms up enough to slice neatly without being too stiff.
- Serve: Slice into 12 portions and serve chilled or at room temperature, enjoying the perfect balance of tangy lemon and sweet creaminess.
Notes
- This tart uses a French sweet tart crust called Pâte Sucrée, which is tastier and easier to handle than traditional shortcrust pastry.
- To avoid the butter splitting in the lemon curd, cook the filling over low heat and stir continuously.
- The filling is designed to be smooth and melt-in-your-mouth creamy, not overly sweet or sour.
- The tart sets just enough for neat slicing.
- Watch the cooking temperature carefully during curd preparation to maintain texture and prevent curdling.
- A recipe video is available as a helpful guide.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 183 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 33 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 112 mg
