Tarte au Citron (French Lemon Tart)
Local name: Tarte au citron
In short: A crisp buttery pastry shell filled with a smooth, tangy lemon cream, baked until just set and served well chilled. It takes about 1 h 35 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Resting
- 4 h
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Tarte au citron is a staple of French pâtisseries: a crisp, buttery sweet pastry shell filled with a silky lemon cream that tastes sharp and sweet at once. The filling is a baked custard of lemon juice, zest, eggs, sugar and cream, which sets gently in the oven and needs no cornstarch. Blind-bake the shell fully so it stays crisp under the filling, and chill the tart before serving.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, powdered sugar and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the egg yolk and enough cold water to form a dough, then pat it into a disk, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll the dough to 3 mm thick and line a 24 cm (9.5 in) tart pan with a removable base, pressing it into the corners. Trim the edge, prick the base with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.
- Line the shell with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, and bake for 10 minutes more until golden. Lower the oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar for 1 minute until combined, then whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Stir in the cream. Do not whip in air.
- Strain the filling through a sieve into a jug and skim off any foam, so the surface of the tart is smooth.
- Set the warm tart shell on the oven rack, pull the rack out a little and pour in the filling up to the rim.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and trembles slightly in the center.
- Cool on a rack for 1 hour, then chill for at least 2 hours.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving and slice with a hot, dry knife.
Tips
- Brush the hot, blind-baked shell with a little beaten egg yolk and return it to the oven for 1 minute. This seals the pastry so the filling cannot soak in.
- For a stronger lemon flavor, rub the sugar with the zest between your fingers before whisking it with the eggs. Meyer lemons give a softer, more floral tart.
Questions and answers
Why did my lemon tart crack?
The oven was probably too hot, or the tart was baked too long. Bake at 150°C (300°F) until the center still trembles, and cool slowly at room temperature.
Can I make tarte au citron ahead of time?
Yes. Bake it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. The pastry stays crisp for about 24 hours. Dust with sugar just before serving.
Can I use bottled lemon juice in a lemon tart?
Fresh juice gives a brighter, cleaner flavor, and the zest adds essential aroma. Bottled juice can taste flat or bitter, so use it only if you must.
How long does it take to make Tarte au Citron (French Lemon Tart)?
About 1 h 35 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 55 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Tarte au Citron (French Lemon Tart)?
About 380 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 40 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 380 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Sodium | 120 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
