classic lemon curd tart
You might be asking yourself, Deb, why are you publishing a lemon tart recipe when the greatest lemon tart of all time already exists on your site? Okay, I’m embellishing a little, but I do really love the whole lemon tart and its sister recipe, the whole lemon bars in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook every bit as much as you — the simplicity, the complexity, the surprise of it all.
But that doesn’t stop me from ever being able to resist a classic lemon curd tart (tarte au citron) in a pastry shop case. Ideally somewhere in Paris, where it’s a staple. Give me a crisp, buttery shell with a beaming puddle of silky lemon curd inside and I’m going to dive right in every time, and especially in winter when we’re crying out for more daylight and warmth.
What I didn’t have is my own go-to recipe for a classic lemon tart. Yes, the internet is full of great ones; so are my cookbook shelves. It wasn’t for a lack of options. It’s that I have a minor quibble with most. So many lemon curd tart recipes come from famous pastry shops and pastry chefs and that’s wonderful — for them. Or for me when I’m lucky enough to eat one they have presented.
But I am a home cook in a very basic kitchen with only a moderate amount of patience. I don’t want to have to figure out what to do with six egg whites when the filling only uses yolks. I don’t want to roll out a tart crust if I can just press it in. I don’t want to use pie weights, ever. I don’t want to use a thermometer to check the filling temperature. And I want to use butter in the amounts it’s packaged in — here, that’s 4-ounce sticks. Finally, I want the filling to fill out the shell, so it’s just as brimming with joy and skill as the ones the professionals make.
It took a few citrus seasons of tinkering but it’s ready and I couldn’t wait any longer (like, perhaps, for egg prices to come down) to share it with you because this is the One: a lemon tart for home cooks like me. It uses whole eggs, whole sticks of butter, no rolling pins, no pie weights, and you can skip the thermometer if you trust your eyes to know when the filling has thickened — or your wrist, as the whisk begins to drag. It’s fancy enough to be served to the fanciest people at the fanciest brunch, but simple and sunny enough to make a gusting, icy winter day feel at least briefly endurable. It’s zinging with lemon and just looking at it makes me happy. Having a slice with a dollop of cream and a handful of fresh berries? It’s an assignment.
Video
Classic Lemon Curd Tart
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup (40 grams) powdered sugar or 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine, diced
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large or 5 medium-large lemons
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
- Whipped cream and berries, to serve (optional)
Crust
Filling
Heat oven: To 350°F (175°C).
Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and blend until the mixture forms large clumps — just keep running it; it might take another full minute for it to come together, but it will. Set a marble or two of dough aside, and transfer the rest of it to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom [I’m using this one] set on a large baking sheet (for drips and stability). Press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes, until solid.
Parbake crust: Once firm, prick all over with a fork. Coat a piece of foil with nonstick spray and press it oiled-side-down tightly against the frozen crust, so it is tightly molded to the shape. Bake tart with foil (no pie weights needed) for 20 minutes, then carefully, gently, a little at a time, peel back foil and discard. If cracks have formed, use the marbles of dough you set aside to patch it. Return the crust to the oven for 5 minutes, until golden at edges and dry to the touch. Set the crust aside.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Place sugar and salt in a medium-sized pot and fine grate the zest of four lemons over it. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar and salt, releasing as much flavor as you can and breaking up the zest strips a little. Add eggs and whisk until evenly combined. Squeeze the lemons to make a strained 2/3 cup of juice and whisk juice into egg-sugar-zest mixture.
Transfer the saucepan to the stove and heat over low-medium, stirring constantly once the mixture begins to warm, until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. [It will thicken at about 175°F, or just below a simmer, but it should both look thicker and feel thicker, as your whisk will drag a little.] Add butter, a piece or two at a time, and stir until melted. Remove from heat and pour into the tart crust. (It’s fine if the crust is still hot from the oven.)
Bake the tart: For 15 minutes or until the filling is mostly set. Chill the tart completely in the fridge; it will finish setting once cool.
Serve: Gently push up on the bottom of the tart pan to pull down the sides of the pan. Transfer the tart to serving plate and cut into wedges. Serve with dollops of whipped cream and fresh berries.
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