These simple yet stunning Lemon Tarts combine the beautiful sharpness of a silky-smooth lemon curd with a crisp buttery pastry tart case, for the best special occasion dessert.
I made this recipe last weekend to end an elaborate Valentine’s Day dinner. I wanted something indulgent, delicious, fairly light, and not overly sweet. This was perfect!
I got a little carried away with my decorations, and made some teeny meringues, added some fresh raspberries, fresh mint and red grapes that I (carefully!) cut super wafer thin using a mandolin. You obviously don’t need to go to all that trouble, but I do highly recommend using fresh raspberries; the tartness and wonderful flavors compliment each other spectacularly!
Making the Pastry for Lemon Tarts
This is a shortcrust pastry, which comes together relatively easily, but still requires some patience. The result is beautifully crisp, short, crispy, buttery pastry that holds the smooth lemon curd perfectly.
Kiersten’s pastry tips:
- Measure your ingredients correctly. Adding too much flour will make your pastry tough and flavorless. Use a digital kitchen scale to measure, and try not to flour your working surface too generously when rolling the pastry – just use enough flour to prevent sticking.
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter, ice cold water, and a cold egg yolk help create the best texture and prevent a greasy mess. When rolling the pastry, if it becomes at all warm or greasy, pop it back in the fridge or freezer until firm.
- The pie weights. Be sure to use enough pie weights to fill the tin completely to the top, to prevent the pastry from slumping down and losing its shape. If you don’t have pie weights, feel free to use rice or even granulated sugar instead!
Lemon Tart Sizes
The pictuers you see here were using my mini fluted loose-bottomed tart pans. You can also use this recipe to make one large tart. I recommend using one 9″ / 23cm fluted loose-bottomed tart pan, or three small 4″ / 10cm tarts. This is the large tin I use, and this is the set of mini tins I use.
Making Lemon Tarts Ahead of Time
You have a few options if you need to make these Lemon Tarts ahead of time. The lemon curd can be stored in a sealed jar or airtight container for 3-5 days. You can also freeze the curd for up to a month, in a well-sealed container, and thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
As for the assembled tarts, they need to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours prior to serving, so be sure to factor that timing in beforehand. The tarts can also be prepared and fully assembled up to one day in advance before serving.
More Dessert Recipes to Try:
Lemon Tarts
Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry:
- 180 grams all-purpose flour
- 113 grams (1 stick) butter , cold, cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 egg yolk, cold
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tablespoons ice cold water
For the Lemon Curd:
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 25 grams cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, from about 3-4 large lemons
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, (do not use the bottled stuff!)
- 150 grams sugar
- 113 grams 1 stick butter, cold, cubed
Instructions
Make the Shortcrust Pastry:
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until it almost resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the vanilla and egg yolk. Add two Tablespoons of iced water, mixing until the mixture just comes together. If you need more water, add a teaspoon at a time until the pastry comes together. Note that you may not need all the water.
- Tip the pastry on to your workbench and lightly knead until smooth, being careful not to overwork (overworked pastry = tough pastry).
- Flatten the pastry into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least two hours.
- Once the pastry has chilled and relaxed, lightly flour your workbench and roll out the pastry to fit your baking tin, using the tin as a guide. Gently transfer to your baking tin, and work gently into the grooves of the tin. Trim to neatly fit.
- Cover and chill the pastry, in the tin, for at least another hour. If you skip this step, you will risk your pastry shrinking in the tin while baking.
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line the surface of the pastry with parchment paper and fill completely with pie weights. Blind bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't overbake!
- Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
Make the Lemon Curd:
- In a bowl of a double-boiler (or a small saucepan, filled with about 1 inch of boiling water, and a bowl that fits snugly over the top of the saucepan without touching the water), place your egg, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Whisk to combine.
- Continue whisking and heating until light and fluffy. I like to use an electric mixer on low for this, but you can use a hand whisk.
- Add the lemon zest and slowly pour in the lemon juice, continuing to whisk as you pour. Once combined, switch to a rubber spatula or spoon. Continue to stir over a low heat.
- Heat the mixture until thickened and it coats the back of your spoon. When you run your finger along the coated spoon, the mixture left should stay put and not run.
- Remove from heat and slowly add the cold, cubed butter, stirring until each cube is completely melted and the mixture is perfectly smooth.
- Push curd through a fine mesh strainer, to remove any lumps and ensure your curd is silky smooth. Carefully place plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the curd to ensure it does not form a skin while cooling.
To Assemble:
- Once both the pastry case and curd are completely cooled, fill the pastry to the brim with curd and smooth. Decorate with fresh raspberries and fresh mint. Allow to chill in the fridge until chilled, or up to 1 day, before serving.
