Classic Lemon Tart

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Published March 17, 2023  ·  ⭐ 4.0 (21 reviews)

Prep	Cook	Total	Yield
40 min	30 min	2 hr	8 servings

Difficulty: Medium

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Ingredients

Sweet Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)

• 200 g plain flour
• 80 g icing sugar
• 25 g ground almonds
• Pinch of fine salt
• 120 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2–3 tbsp ice-cold water

Lemon Curd Filling

• 4 unwaxed lemons, zest and juice (about 200 ml juice)
• 200 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs plus 2 yolks
• 200 g unsalted butter, cubed

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Steps Overview

1. Make and chill the pastry
2. Blind-bake the tart shell
3. Cook the lemon curd on the hob
4. Pour filling into shell and set in the oven briefly
5. Cool, unmould, and dust with icing sugar

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Step-by-Step

1. Make the pastry

Pulse flour, icing sugar, almonds, and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and just enough ice water to bring the dough together. Do not overwork. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Line and blind-bake

On a floured surface, roll the pastry to 3 mm thick and use it to line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Trim the edges. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans, and bake at 190 °C for 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper, then bake a further 8–10 minutes until the base is golden and dry. Let cool.

3. Make the curd

Whisk lemon zest, juice, sugar, eggs, and yolks together in a heavy saucepan. Add the butter and stir constantly over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 80 °C). Do not boil. Strain through a fine sieve.

4. Fill and set

Pour the warm curd into the cooled tart shell. Bake at 150 °C for 8–10 minutes until the filling has just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Remove and cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

5. Serve

Dust lightly with icing sugar just before serving. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche or softly whipped cream.

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Notes

• Strain the curd for a silky-smooth filling — the zest has done its job by now.
• If the pastry cracks during lining, patch it with offcuts and press together — it won't show.
• The tart will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Add the icing sugar dusting only when serving.
• For a more intense flavour, use Meyer lemons or a mix of lemon and yuzu.