Perfect Lemon Tart Recipe

The best lemon tart I have ever eaten! A great combination of sweet, tart and creamy filling with a nice crunchy short crust. | ethnicspoon.com

A tangy and rich lemon dessert that is the perfect ending to any meal. A little piece goes a long way. Try it now.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy tart recipe, lemon curd custard, scratch recipe, tart baking

Prep Time: 1 10

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 2

Servings:

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Analida Braeger

Ingredients

Tart Shell:

1 ¼ cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp Kosher salt
4 oz unsalted butter cold, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk beaten
1 Tbsp whole milk
1 egg white lightly beaten

Filling:

4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup orange juice fresh squeezed
½ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
1 lemon zest of one entire lemon
1 orange zest of one entire orange
¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

To make the tart shell:
In a food processor place the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse a few times until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and milk. Pulse until the mixture comes together into a ball. You can add a bit of cold water (1 Tbsp. at at time) if it is having difficulty coming together.
Take the ball of dough and flatten it out lightly on a lightly floured surface. Wrap it in plastic and place it in the refrigerator for about one hour or overnight.
Take dough and allow it to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350'F.
On a floured surface start rolling out the dough to make a 13" circle.
Place in a tart shell. Place a piece of parchment paper or foil on top of the shell. Fill with pie weights or beans.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
As soon as the shell comes out of the oven, brush with egg white.
To make the filling:
While the pastry is baking whisk together the eggs, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest and orange zest and cream until smooth.
Place the filling in the tart shell and bake for about 20-25 minutes.*
Allow it to cool before serving.
* Check with a toothpick after about 20 minutes so you don't over bake or see my notes on the "jiggle" test below.

Notes

Baking Tips:
When you are ready to fill the tart for baking, pull out the oven tray and place the empty tart shell on the rack. Place the filling in a pitcher and pour over tart shell. This will prevent possible spills.

You can check if the filling is set by jiggling the oven rack. If you see the filling swirl like ripples on a pond it is not set. If it jiggles like jello then is it set and you can take it out to chill.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make this Lemon tart crust dough in advance and freeze it? Yes, and there are a couple ways to do it. The first way would be to roll out the dough and press it into the tart pan. You can freeze this for up to three months wrapped in foil and then placed in a tightly sealed container or freezer bag. Remove the frozen tart shell from the freezer, fill with the pie weights then bake. Add about three minutes to the bake time if baking the tart shell from a frozen state. You don’t have to thaw the tart shell before blind baking. The second way to freeze the dough is before it is rolled out and is still a flat disc. Wrap the disc with foil and seal it in a freezer bag or container. Thaw it out in the refrigerator for several hours before rolling it out and baking. For best results use the dough within three months.
How long can I store the finished Lemon tart? It is best to eat this tart fresh baked. It will last for 3 days in the refrigerator but the crust will start to get a bit softer. Wrap the tart with foil or plastic wrap while in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze the finished Lemon tart? Yes, wrap the tart tightly with foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. The tart will be best if used within 1 or 2 months.
Can I leave the Lemon tart out at room temperature? It can be left out while serving but no more than 2 hours at room temperature. You run the risk of spoilage with bacteria that can grow in temperatures from 40°F to 140°F. The tart is best when chilled anyway so keep it cool and all will be good.

Nutrition