Classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)

A lemon tart with slices cut out, decorated with lemon slices, raspberries, edible flowers, and mint leaves on a white plate.

Classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)

This lemon tart recipe is a classic French tarte au citron: a crisp, buttery shortcrust shell filled with a silky lemon custard made from fresh juice and the zest of four lemons. I bake the filling low and slow, so it sets soft and creamy, then chill the tart until it slices cleanly.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword Lemon Tart, Tarte au Citron

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 50

Chill time 2

Total Time 3 50

Servings

Calories 344kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Pastry

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water

Lemon filling

5 large eggs
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup fresh lemon juice about 4 to 5 lemons
4 lemons zest of 4 lemons
½ cup heavy cream

For serving

fresh lemon slices
fresh raspberries
a few sprigs of fresh mint
whipped cream
edible flowers optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the pastry. In a large bowl, rub the cold cubed butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the powdered sugar. Add the egg yolk and cold water, then cut everything together with a knife until the dough just comes together. Keeping it in the bowl, briefly knead it into a smooth ball with your hands. Do not overwork it. Flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Roll and line the pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle about 11 inches across. Drape it into a 9-inch tart pan and let it settle into the bottom and up the sides. Press it neatly into the corners with your fingers, leaving a slight overhang, then trim the overhang with a sharp knife. Refrigerate the lined shell for 20 minutes to firm up before baking.
Blind bake the shell. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prick the base all over with a fork, line it with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and return the shell to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden and dry to the touch. If the edges have shrunk slightly, gently press them back into place with the back of a spoon while the pastry is still warm.
Make the filling. Whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream together until smooth. Mix just until combined so you don't beat in air. For the smoothest finish, strain the filling through a fine mesh sieve before using.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).
Fill and bake. Place the tart shell on the oven rack and carefully pour in the filling until it sits about ¼ inch (a couple of centimeters) below the top edge of the crust. Depending on the depth of your pan, you may not need all of it. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble when you gently shake the pan.
Cool and chill. Let the tart cool completely at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Overnight gives you the cleanest slices.
Decorate and serve. Just before serving, arrange lemon slices, raspberries, mint sprigs, and edible flowers on top in a pattern you like. I whipped some heavy cream to serve alongside. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

Notes

Fill the shell on the oven rack. Pull the rack out, set the tart pan on it, and pour the filling in there. Carrying a full tart across the kitchen is how filling ends up on the floor.
Leftover filling. Depending on your pan, you may have filling left over. Do not throw it out. Pour it into ramekins and bake them on a second rack alongside the tart for individual lemon custards. Check them at about 20 minutes.
Zest before you juice. Zest all 4 lemons first, then juice them. Trying to zest a squeezed lemon half is a small misery I would like you to avoid.
Why strain the filling? Straining the filling catches the zest and any bits of chalazae from the eggs. If you want that glassy, professional-looking surface, don't skip it.
How to tell it's done. Give the pan a light tap with your oven mitt. The outer edges should be set, and the very center should jiggle like loose gelatin. It will finish setting as it cools. An overbaked lemon tart cracks and turns grainy, so pull it a minute early rather than a minute late.
Removing the tart from the pan. Most tart pans have a removable bottom. Set the pan on top of a can and let the outer ring fall away, then slide the tart, still on its metal base, onto a serving plate.
For the cleanest slices, chill the lemon tart thoroughly and use a sharp knife dipped in hot water, wiping the blade between cuts.
For the best texture, let slices sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving to soften the filling slightly.
Special tools: 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pie weights or dried beans, fine mesh sieve, microplane zester.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

Fridge: Store the tart covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I wait to decorate until serving, because the fresh berries and mint do not hold up as long as the tart does.
Freezer: Freeze the baked, chilled, undecorated tart for up to 1 month. Wrap it in 2 layers of plastic wrap plus a layer of heavy-duty foil, then thaw overnight in the fridge.
Freeze the pastry ahead: The wrapped dough disk keeps in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before rolling.
Make-ahead: You can make the pastry dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge, or freeze it for up to a month. The baked tart is best made a day in advance, so it has a long, cold rest.

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