Lemon-Lime Basil Tart
This Lemon-Lime Basil Tart is a summer twist on my Classic French Tarte au Citron, which is one of the most popular recipes on this blog. The basil infused lime filling tastes both fresh and creamy, and is the perfect pairing to a crisp buttery pâte sucrée, made the true French way. This Tart is perfectly zesty, not too sweet, and makes for a refreshing dessert on a hot Summer day. The crust: « pâte sucrée ». Just like the Tarte au Citron, the ideal crust for this tart is what we…
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 36 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- For the « pate sucrée » crust :
- ½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature.¾ cup (95g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup + 1 ½ tbsp (40g) almond flour (ground almond)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (233g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- For the filling:
- ¾ cup (180ml) lime juice (about 6-7 limes)¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- Zest of 1 lime
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6-7 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (+ a few extra for decoration)
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed.4 large eggs + 4 large egg yolks
Instructions
- 1
Make the « pâte sucrée » crust.
- 2
In large mixing bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract, almond flour and egg, and mix until homogeneous. Add the all-purpose flour and salt, and mix until just incorporated and the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in a plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours, minimum.
- 3
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- 4
Take the pâte sucrée out of the fridge, place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Unpeel the top sheet of parchment paper, transfer the crust to a 9-inch tart pan (trim the sides if needed) and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans on top, to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.
- 5
Bake the pâte sucrée for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden.
- 6
Set the tart shell aside to cool (still in the dish). Leave your oven on at 350°F/180°C.
- 7
In the meantime, make the lemon-lime basil filling.
- 8
Grab a fine-mesh strainer before you start and have it ready within arm’s reach.
- 9
In a medium saucepan (no heat yet), whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, lime zest, lemon zest, basil, sugar, salt, egg yolks and eggs. Add the cubed butter and turn the heat to medium. Whisk slowly until the butter is all melted. Continue whisking steadily for several minutes until the mixture thickens to a thin custard consistency.
- 10
Immediately pass the lemon filling through the fine mesh strainer (to discard of the basil pieces) directly into the tart shell. Using an offset spatula (or back of a large spoon), smooth out the top of the filling. Bake the tart for 5 minutes, until the filling has slightly set and turned slightly deeper in color.
- 11
Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. Decorate with basil leaves and lime zests. Enjoy slightly warm or chilled.