Classic French Lemon Tart
A crisp buttery crust with a smooth tangy lemon custard. That is all you need to recreate this utterly iconic French dessert: a Classic French Lemon Tart. A must to have in your baking repertoire as a French host(ess). This is a perfect dessert to transition from Winter to Spring. It’s bright and sunny, while still making the best of these citrusy winter fruits. What is a French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)? Unlike common perceptions, a classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron) does not traditionally feature a meringue…
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 36 min
- Yield
- 8 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 lemon filling :
- 1 cup (250ml) lemon juice (about 6-7 lemons)
- Zest of 2 lemons (organic lemons)
- 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 350F (180C).
- 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. Chill it again for 30 minutes. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans 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 350F/180C.
- 7
In the meantime, make the lemon 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 lemon juice, lemon zest, 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, 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. Enjoy slightly warm or chilled.