Tarte au Citron (Lemon Tart)

Tarte au Citron recipe, or lemon tart. Sharp lemon aroma and flavour in a homemade sweet pastry case.

4.97 from 27 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: lemon tart, tarte au citron

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: 8

Calories: 449kcal

Author: Azlin Bloor

Equipment

a 22cm (9in) loose bottomed tart tin

Ingredients

Sweet crust pastry

▢ 120 g salted butter at room temperature
▢ 100 g icing sugar
▢ 1 egg lightly beaten, for glazing
▢ 250 g plain flour

Filling

▢ 5 large free range eggs
▢ 150 g caster sugar
▢ 125 ml double cream (heavy/whipping cream)
▢ 200 ml lemon juice ( about 4 - 5 lemons, does depend on the size of the lemons)
▢ zest of 1 lemon optional

Instructions

The Pastry

With a wooden spoon, beat butter and icing sugar until slightly pale and creamy. This should only take about 2 minutes.
120 g salted butter, 100 g icing sugar
Beat in the egg for about a minute. You won't have a smooth mix, don't worry, we'll be adding the flour next.
1 egg
Add the flour and rub with fingertips till the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time as needed and lightly bring it all together. Don't knead the pastry, just gently mix it to form a uniform ball of dough.
250 g plain flour
Flatten it, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for 30 mins.
Lightly flour a work surface, a chilled marble or granite slab would be perfect, to keep the pastry cold. Roll the pastry out to about 2-3mm thickness.
Lift the dough and place it in a 23cm (9 in) loose bottomed tart tin. This is easier done if you roll part of of the dough onto the rolling pin first and lift it up with the pin. Make sure the pastry is neatly tucked in all around. Long nails, be careful!
Cut off the overhanging pastry, leaving a slight hang for shrinkage if you want. Prick the pastry all over and chill again for 30 mins. I know this is time consuming but you can go off do stuff in that 30 mins, the result is so much better than shop bought, trust me!
Turn oven on to 180˚ (375˚F / 160°C Fan) and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf. This is to ensure the bottom of the pastry cooks evenly too. After 30 mins, line pastry with baking paper, fill with beans/rice (ceramic baking beans are perfect) and bake on the hot baking sheet for about 12-15 mins. You need to check this as all ovens are different.
Remove the baking paper and beans and bake for another 3 mins. Brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg yolk and bake again for 2 mins. This forms a seal and stops the bottom of the pastry getting soggy from the filling.
Leave to cool for at least half an hour before removing from the tin. Remember hot pastry is soft and will fall apart.

The Filling

For the filling, turn oven up to 190˚C (375˚F / 170°C Fan). This is the easy part!
Gently hand whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl (over whisking will result in too many bubbles/foam, you don't want that).
5 large free range eggs, 150 g caster sugar
Add the cream, whisk, then add the lemon juice. Some people like to add lemon zest but I don't like bits in my tart!
125 ml double cream (heavy/whipping cream), 200 ml lemon juice , zest of 1 lemon
Carefully pour the mix into the case and bake for about 20-25 mins. Serve at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar.

Notes

Total time does not include the hands off chilling time.

Nutrition

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