Lemon Tart Recipe

Once I was a child, considered one of my favourite treats was a lemon stick—a candied lemon straw pierced right into a reduce lemon half. Each sip by the candied straw introduced a jolt of recent lemon juice so intense it at all times made me pucker. I have never eaten lemon sticks since I used to be a baby, however as an grownup I fulfill my longing for that sweet-tart jolt by making lemon tarts professionally and at residence. To me, an incredible lemon tart ought to make your mouth pucker a lot that your eyes open vast too, and that’s what I used to be aiming for once I developed this recipe: a filling that’s candy, sure, but in addition has a strong recent lemon punch. 

On this recipe, the lemon curd is very vibrant tasting, sharp, and tangy with a silky {smooth} texture that’s creamy and dense sufficient to carry collectively as soon as the tart is sliced. The filling’s velvety texture is countered by a crunchy shortbread-like crust. Not solely does this tart style incredible (if I do say so myself), the entire thing requires simply quarter-hour of energetic prep time, adopted by 40 minutes of baking (that features baking the tart crust and cooking the lemon curd), and an hour of resting. Right here’s do it.

Tips on how to Make an Intensely Tart Lemon Curd Filling

I’ve professionally baked and eaten loads of lemon tarts through the years and the largest downside with most of them was that they merely weren’t lemony sufficient. These subpar tarts had been cloyingly candy or unpleasantly eggy. An important lemon curd must rejoice the fruit’s recent taste, and the primary method to make sure that is to make use of extra lemon than you’d count on. By testing many rounds of curds, I discovered that to attain a supremely tart tart, it’s essential to use an aggressive quantity of each lemon zest and lemon juice. 

The opposite approach to get the sharpest lemon taste attainable is to chop down on the quantity of sweetener used within the filling, and to make use of honey as a substitute of granulated sugar. In my analysis, most recipes name for at the very least a full cup of granulated sugar to sweeten the curd filling. I attempted this customary initially of recipe testing, however the outcome was a cloyingly candy and boring lemon filling. I examined once more utilizing much less sugar, going all the way in which all the way down to a half cup. With much less sugar, the flavour was sharper and nearer to that pucker-worthy lemon filling taste I wished. However the filling nonetheless didn’t style as vibrant as I wished. The answer was utilizing honey as a substitute of granulated sugar within the lemon filling. Honey’s gentle floral taste pairs completely with the sharp lemons and provides a delicate depth of taste to the curd.

The opposite elements within the curd are pretty easy. A mix of three complete eggs and a full six eggs yolks thickens and emulsifies the curd, giving it its signature creamy however sliceable texture. Utilizing further yolks additionally means you don’t have to thicken the filling with cornstarch or flour, which may add an unwelcome grainy texture. After the curd is cooked and strained, a number of tablespoons of butter are whisked in for a touch of richness to steadiness the sharp lemon taste. The entire course of of creating the curd takes about 10 minutes.

Pair It With an Straightforward Pat-in-the-Pan Shortbread-Type Crust

After you have your tart filling prepped, all you need to do is pour it right into a ready tart shell. Whereas you need to use a store-bought shell or a traditional French pâte sucrée—which requires a stand mixer and hours of chilling earlier than rolling the dough out—my go-to is the straightforward pat-in-the-pan crust I’ve included right here. (The tart shell is nice for different fillings too). This buttery, shortbread-like shell is the proper container for the tart lemon filling. It is sturdy when dealt with however tender as soon as bitten into and the buttery taste pairs completely with the brilliant lemon.

The tart crust takes just a few minutes to arrange and you can also make the lemon curd whereas the crust bakes. The toughest a part of this recipe may be the truth that it’s essential to wait at the very least an hour for the tart to totally cool and the curd filling to set earlier than slicing and serving.