French-Style Lemon Tart
This French-style lemon tart bakes a buttery pastry shell, then fills it with a silky stovetop lemon cream for a glassy, intensely citrus dessert known in France as tarte au citron, ready in under 2 hours including chill time. This is the tart French pâtisseries build their reputation on: a crisp, buttery shell holding a filling tart enough to make your whole mouth pucker in the best way, glossy enough to look like it took far more skill than it actually did. Serve it alongside a cup of our Korean-style citron tea for a citrus-forward end to dinner.
Quick answer: A buttery pastry shell filled with a silky, stovetop-cooked lemon cream, known in France as tarte au citron. Chilled until set, it's glossy, intensely citrus, and ready in under 2 hours including chill time.
Instructions
Make the crust: pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt together, then cut in the cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and ice water, pulsing just until the dough comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough and press it into a 9-inch tart pan. Prick the base all over with a fork and chill 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Line the shell with parchment and pie weights, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake 5-8 minutes more until golden. Cool completely.
Make the lemon cream: whisk eggs and sugar together in a saucepan off the heat, then whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time until the cream is glossy and smooth.
Pour the warm lemon cream into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top. Chill for at least 1 hour until set. Slice and serve, dusted with powdered sugar if you like.
Questions people actually ask
The eggs cooked too fast over high heat. Keep the heat medium-low and whisk constantly, and if you see any lumps, strain the cream through a fine sieve before it goes into the shell.
Yes, it's actually better made a day ahead. Keep it chilled and covered, and add any garnish just before serving.
The dough likely wasn't chilled long enough before baking. Give it a full 30 minutes in the fridge, and don't skip the pie weights during blind baking.
Fresh is strongly recommended here since lemon is the entire flavor of the filling. Bottled juice tastes flatter and can leave the cream tasting slightly metallic.
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