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French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)

French Lemon Tart (Tarte Au Citron)

This classic French lemon tart recipe features a buttery crust and a smooth, tangy lemon filling. Easy and elegant this lemon tart is a bright and refreshing dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 10' tart pan
  • Food processor
  • medium saucepan

Ingredients
  

For the Crust

  • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons cold water

For the Lemon Curd Filling

  • 1 cup lemon juice approximately 5-6 large lemons
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks

Instructions
 

  • Place flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse 4-5 times until it forms a coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition.
  • Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper (or on a lightly floured surface) and roll into a 12 inch circle. Transfer the dough into a 10 inch tart pan, press the dough into the sides and trim the excess crust. Using a fork prick the bottom of the crust. Chill the crust for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the tart dough with parchment paper and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and prepare the lemon curd.
  • Combine lemon juice, zest, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Add 1/4 cup of the warm lemon mixture to the eggs and whisk to thoroughly combine.
  • Add the lemon-egg mixture to the pan and whisk thoroughly. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the butter until it has melted and everything is thoroughly combined.
  • Strain the lemon curd using a fine mesh strainer. Pour the strained lemon curd into the tart shell and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Bake the tart for 10 minutes then chill for at least 2 hours or until set. Serve as desired.
Keyword french dessert recipe, lemon dessert

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