A crisp buttery crust with a smooth tangy lemon custard. That is all you need to recreate this utterly iconic French dessert: a Classic French Lemon Tart. A must to have in your baking repertoire as a French host(ess). This is a perfect dessert to transition from Winter to Spring. It’s bright and sunny, while still making the best of these citrusy winter fruits.
What is a French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)?
Unlike common perceptions, a classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron) does not traditionally feature a meringue top. Of course, you can find both versions in French bakeries (with or without meringues), and I would even say that you will find more meringue-topped lemon tarts nowadays, as they’re probably more eye-catching.
With that being said, the original French “Tarte au Citron” is meringue-less, and simply allows the bright yellow filling to shine on its own. And as with many French desserts, I like to say that making it isn’t very complex – but it has to be done right! A proper crust: buttery, crisp and not too crumbly. A proper filling: luscious and tangy, but not too sweet nor tart.
I have had my fair share of too-sweet or too-tart lemon tarts in my life… enough to motivate me to create this lemon filling that to me, is the perfect balance of flavors.
Make sure you read the following cooking notes, and you’ll be set for success!
Components of a classic French lemon tart
1. The crust: « a pâte sucrée ».
You can use a store-bought pie crust if you wish; but as I always like to say that making your own crust from scratch will go a long way. The ideal crust for this lemon tart is what we call a “pâte sucrée”. A pâte sucrée is a sweet, crumbly French pastry (a little more crisp, and less sandy than a “pâte sablée”), which is usually used for tarts featuring cream or custards.
My version of it includes a small portion of almond flour, for sweet nutty notes that balance perfectly with the tangy lemon filling.
Because a pâte sucrée contains quite a lot of butter, it needs to be chilled twice for at least 2 hours before rolling-it out and at least 30 minutes once rolled out in the tart shell, before baking. Take into account these chilling times when you plan on making this lemon tart.
You can also prepare the dough the day before and keep it refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
The crust gets baked on it own, before being filled.
2. The filling: a lemon custard.
A custard is indeed the proper way to describe the filling. It holds its shape, but is far more soft than in the other lemon pies you might have encountered. Likewise, this filling is far more rich and luscious than its American cousin (it’s a French tart, after all), with a generous amount of butter in it too. With that, you’ll understand why you don’t need a meringue to complete it.
Once filled, the tart simply gets baked again for 5 minutes for the custard to set and turn a deep beautiful yellow. You can then enjoy the tart slightly warm, or place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours and enjoy cold.
Common Questions
How long does this tart keep for?
This tart will taste delicious for up to 3 days, well covered in the fridge.
I don’t have/can’t use almond flour for the pâte sucrée, what can I use?
Feel free to use the same amount of all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour, if required. The shell will be a bit firmer, but will work fine. Conversely, you can use this recipe for an “all-flour” pâte sucrée.
How thick should the custard be to know it’s done?
The best way I’ve heard to describe it, is like a “thin creamy yogurt” consistency. The custard should hold to the whisk and not drip off easily. The custard will thicken further as it cools.
Where’s the corn starch/flour to thicken the custard?
Surprise – there isn’t any! You may have noticed this recipe has more eggs than most others do… And that’s because the French use the eggs and extra yolks as the thickener!
Baking notes:
- This recipe works for a 9 x1 1/8-inch (22.9 x 3.8 cm) tart pan. Ideally get one with a removable bottom.
- I like my filling quite bright and tangy, which requires the zest of 2 whole lemons. If you’re a bit more shy, you can use the zest of 1 or 1 ½ lemons.
- Use Organic Lemons. Because we are using zest from the peels, I recommend to use organic lemons which are pesticide free.
I hope you’ll love this Classic French Lemon Tart as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
More Classic French desserts to try:
- Classic French Cherry Clafoutis
- Classic French Crème Brûlées
- Classic French Apple Cake
- Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
- Classic French Pear Cake
- Classic French Chocolate Mousse
- Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)
- Classic French Fruit Cake
137 comments
This lemon tart was absolutely amazing! I took it to a Bastille Day party and received lots of positive comments. It was just tart enough and just sweet enough. This tart is not difficult to make, believe me! Hint: make it a day before you need it so it has plenty of time to chill.
Amazing! Thank you for your feedback Judi!
I made this tart yesterday and it’s INCREDIBLE. Fantastic flavor and texture in both the crust and the filling. Thank you, this is my go-to tarte au citron from now on! 🙂
Amazing, thank you Hannah!
Audrey, could I ask, if I was interested in adding a tbsp or two of ground ginger to this crust (for use with a different recipe), would you recommend adding that on top of the listed ingredients, or should I do it another way? Or not at all? 🙂
Hi Hannah, yes you could use 1 tbsp of ground ginger (probably not more than 1 tbsp or it will be overwhelming). Remove 1 tbsp of flour instead. Enjoy!
Thank you Audrey! I loved the crust so much, in addition to the filling, that I wanted to use it with another recipe. 🙂
Great, thank you Hannah!
[…] a long time. So the idea of making a custard for a prefect French tart was terrifying to me. But this recipe was detailed enough that it seemed to take all the stress away. But then I had to worry about my […]
Hello. What size of tart do you use in this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Evelina. This recipe works for a 9 x1 1/8-inch (22.9 x 3.8 cm) tart pan. Ideally get one with a removable bottom. Happy baking!
[…] Classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron) – Pardon your French […]
We made this “Tarte au Citron” yesterday and it was amazing! We loved the filling, it was zesty and rich, and you are right: you don’t need a meringue to complete it. Thank you for this great recipe, Audrey.
Thank you for your feedback Ren, happy to read you enjoyed this recipe!
This recipe is just fantastic.. I loved it and so did everyone who tried it. Loving your recipes Audrey, delighted to have found your blog! 🙂 Shell
Amazing, thanks Shell!
How long can you keep it?
Hi Julie! This tart will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months.
Can you substitute the almond flour with more all purpose flour? I can not serve nut products at the school I teach at, but I would like to make this for my students. Thank you
Hi Tasha! If you can’t use almond flour, I recommend you use this recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/pate-sucree-french-sweet-pastry-crust-2394488. This is also a Pâte Sucrée recipe, but it uses all-purpose flour only. I hope this helps!
Thank you for posting this recipe! How I’ve missed lemon tarts…
I swapped 50g of the regular flour for ground speculoos (biscoff) cookies to the crust recipe to add a little of the cinnamon flavor and made bite sized tartlets. Your custard recipe is perfect! Perfectly balanced. Thank you!
Thank you for your great feedback Laure! I love the addition of ground speculoos into the crust, great idea!
Hey Audrey i really want to make this. My mom had some almond flour and so i decided no to buy anymore because it was also really expensive 12 dollars for a small size, can i use just all purpose flour? and how much? Thank you.
Yes, you can use just all-purpose flour. The crust will likely be a little more sturdy – but it won’t affect the overall result. Happy baking!
how much should i use? just the same amount that the almond flour requires?
Exactly, same amount 🙂
Also, as another option, here is another recipe for the crust: https://www.thespruceeats.com/pate-sucree-french-sweet-pastry-crust-2394488. This is also a Pâte Sucrée recipe, but it uses all-purpose flour only. I hope this helps!
I was intimidated for several years to attempt a tarte. This recipe was easy to following along and produced a wonderful dessert I will definitely make again. Thank you!
Amazing! Thank you for your feedback!
I made the tarte and it was delicious thank you for the recipe 😍😍
Amazing, thank you!
I’m not a dessert maker at all but always cooking savoury, but this recipe turned out absolutely brilliant! Every moment of time and attention, is more than worth the end result which was way better than any Tarte au Citron I’ve ever bought and I’ve bought some crackers in the past. Followed the recipe to the letter and used the amount of Lemons in the recipe, not too tangy for me at all. So thank you so much for your recipe Audrey. Now suitably inspired, I’m off to experiement…Lime or Orange Tart au Citron anyone?
Thank you for this great feedback Kevin! A friend of mine made this recipe the other day using Meyer lemons, and it was delicious! I’d be curious how it turns out using oranges!
I’d like to thank you for posting this easy-to-follow recipe, especially with such delicious results! I made this for an assessment in my French language class over our food unit, and everyone who tried it loved it (including myself- your recipe is an amazing tool to anyone new OR any seasoned bakers willing to try something new!) As I have not had very much baking experience but aspire to bake a whole lot more when I’m done with school and college, any particularly delicious treat I manage to make is a big deal. Thank you!
Thank you for this kind comment Evie! Happy baking!
I made this recipe for the first time today…it’s actually the first tart I’ve ever made at all. The crust came out perfectly. I found the custard to be a bit too tart for my liking and the custard didn’t thicken as much as I would have liked but I had it on the stovetop for over 10 minutes so I poured it into the pie shell. I did enjoy making this lemon tart and I feel more comfortable trying other tart variations now! Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback Daniella!
Greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa.
My husband loves a good French Lemon Tart and after eyeing this for a while I finally made it and he loved it, forgot the timer for the last bake so it was a little brown but that didn’t affect the taste thankfully. Love the flour combination in the pâte sucrée. Looking forward to try more of your recipes.
Thank you for your feedback! Happy that you enjoyed it!
Hi. I’m not used to making custard, so how can i check its consistency ? Is it like a french crepe batter consistency or more like an american pancake batter consistency?
Hi Ophelie, this is a great question actually! When making the custard, whisk until you get a thin custard consistency, which would be like a thin creamy yogurt consistency – so much thicker than a french crepe batter. The custard should hold to the whisk. When cooling down, the custard will thicken even more – so that you can slice it. I hope this helps!
I made this using the alternative pastry case you provided the link to, as I did not have any almond flour. It was the best lemon tart I have ever tasted, the pastry was beautiful, the best I’ve ever made my partner said, the filling was just the right balance between sweet and tart. A wonderful dessert to take to my friend’s birthday get together, her favourite flavour is lemon, she absolutely loved it. Will definitely make again!
Amazing! Thank you for your feedback Carol!
My 12 year old step son made this for his online summer baking course. I offered some tips here and there but he did It on his own. It was amazing. I can’t wait for my mom to try it. She is going to be blown away. So proud of him. Thank you for a great recipe.
Amazing! Thank you Aimee, very happy you and your son enjoyed this recipe!
Hi there! Would love to try this tart. Just to clarify that you chill the dough ball before rolling, then again once it’s in the tart pan. I believe in the instructions you moved right to filling with pie weights?
Hi Suzanne! Yes absolutely. Chilling the dough at least another 30 minutes once it is rolled out is recommended (good catch! I will edit the recipe instructions).
Really great, just made it.
Thanks Matthew! Enjoy!
I am making this tomorrow. I went ahead and made the pâte sucrée crust to chill overnight and I just realized that I forgot the tbpspoon of all purpose flour. Should it be ok to add when rolling out tomorrow? Thanks! I’m super excited to make this tart!
Hi Shelby! So you mean you only added 1 ¾ cup of flour (and omitted the + 1 tbsp)? In that case, I think your crust will be fine, as this is only a tiny omission 🙂 It also may be a bit difficult to add this extra tablespoon of flour once your dough is chilled, as the butter hardened and made the dough hard as well (hence more difficult to mix).
How long does this keep? Do you refrigerate it to eat later or does it keep on the countertop?
Hi Linda! This tart will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months. I wouldn’t keep it on the countertop as it won’t keep as well and the custard will soften up. Happy baking!
Fabulous. Great recipe. Made it twice now and nothing but compliments. Thanks!
Thanks so much David!
How big was the tin you used?
Hi! It is a 9-inch tart pan. Happy baking!
Hello! Do you know how well this would convert into mini tarts? Your recipe looks great, but I will be using mini/small tart pans.about 4 in diameters
Hi Taylor, that is a great question. You can simply follow the same recipe’s steps, with making sure you still cover each tartlets with parchment paper and rice/beans before blind baking. As for the baking time, I would say blind bake for about 7 minutes at 350F/180C, remove the parchment + beans and then bake for another 4-5 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. Once filled, bake the tartlets for 5 minutes (same as for a large tart) so the filling sets properly. I hope this helps, happy baking!
Bonjour Aubre!
I made this tarte and used your recipe after reading a lot of recipes on the web but somehow this one clicked and I am SO glad it need!
It was a first time for me making a tarte au citron therefore you can imagine my happiness when the result came out as a HUGE success! 😉
Thank you Aubrey! I am happy to have found your wonderful blog! I am sure I will make more of what you so beautifully present here!
Big hug virtual squeeze all the way to you from a Greek living in Abu Dhabi, UAE!.-
Lena!.- xx
Amazing, thank you for this great feedback Lena!
Hi Audrey.
While making the custard,it doesn’t have to be in a double boil right?directly on the stove?
Hi Sapna, yes directly on the stove works perfect. You can also use a double boiler if you wish, although the custard will take longer to thicken. Happy baking!
Also,aftet taking it off the stove,does it have to cook before passing it through the strainer and into the tart shell for baking?
Hi Sapna. You take the custard off the stove once it has thickens to a custard consistency (so it is cooked enough at the point). You then pass it immediately through a strainer and into the tart shell; no cooking step is needed between those 2 steps. I hope this helps 🙂
Hi I’m making the tart and did not understand the step with the parchment paper are we suppose to let it stay or take both the papers out?
Hi Amayra. Yes both sheets of parchment paper come off. As you can see on the photo, the crust is within the pan with no parchment underneath. You can re-use one of the two sheets to place it back on top of the crust and fill with pie weights before baking. I hope this helps!
i just made this, and it was delicious! i did notice that the pie did not seem to set after 5 minutes. when i served two slices, they were oozing over the sides of the tart shell and all over the plate. I assume this isn’t normal, so it’s possible for my oven and/or tart pan, I need 10 minutes?
Hi Angela! This tart is meant to bake just 5 minutes, although there is no harm in baking it 10 minutes. When enjoying the tart right out of the oven, the filling is definily quite oozy. If you want a firmer filling and cut clean slices, I recommend you chill the tart overnight and serve it the next day. I hope this helps!
Hi Audrey!
I was wondering about the chilling time of the dough and just wanted to double check.
In the cooking notes you mention: “Because a pâte sucrée contains quite a lot of butter, it needs to be chilled twice for at least 2 hours before rolling-it out and at least 30 minutes once rolled out in the tart shell, before baking.”.
However, in the recipe I can only find 1x 2 hours chilling + an additional 30 min. Not 2x 2 hours?
Hi there! Yes maybe my wording isn’t clear… What I mean is, you chill the dough twice: the first time for at least 2 hours before rolling it out, and the second time for at least 30 minutes once it is in the tart shell. So 2 hours + 30 minutes. I hope this helps! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJOJZQYjWNz/?igshid=o3e4widusif0
Thank you! Your tart looks perfect, great job!
My filling is not setting. I followed the recipe and not sure what went wrong. Please advise.
Hi Felicia! The lemon custard is supposed to softer than a classic American pie. If enjoyed the day of, it will have a creamy consistency. If you want the filling to firm up (like on the photos), place it in the fridge overnight. I hope this helps, enjoy!
Wonderful recipe! Back in the pre-COVID days when I was able to travel, I always made sure to get a tarte au citron. This brought back great memories and will hold me over until travel resumes. Thank you!
Amazing, thanks Pam!
Is grounded almound the same as almound flower for the crust?
Yes it is!
Thanks for the feedback… sorry for my typo… I meant to write Flour… not flower!
I made your lemon custard earlier this year. Now, I want to make la pâte sucrée this time around. I had a lot of compliments with the lemon custard back in April. Merci pour cette recette Audrey 🙂
Thank you, and happy baking!
This recipe is perfect. I had a few left over Seville oranges after making marmalade. I juiced and grated those sour oranges along with Eureka Lemon juice. I did use a Bain Marie double boiler method; a stainless steel bowl over a large pot allowed me to achieve a perfect constituency and balance of flavor. Many thanks for your post
Thank you for your feedback Peter!
Thumbs up! Great recipe! I loved the crust – it didn’t shrink a bit during the blind baking process – maybe because of the almond flour? Either way, it really is nice. The lemon custard thickened quite fast. Basically, once the white foam disappears from the top of the mixture, it will thicken shortly after. I can’t wait to try it!
Also, I used about 1/4 cup fresh lime juice and 3/4 lemon juice. Thanks again!
Amazing, thank you for your feedback!
Thanks for the amazing recipe! The custard has just the right balance between acidity and sweetness. The bright color makes you smile. Brings back memories from bike travelling in Champagne 🍾
Amazing, thank you!
I made this for the second time today. My first try with the pate sucre was not successful, so I used my traditional shortening crust with much better results for me. The filling is exquisite, so good in fact, that this recipe has become my little secret! Thank you! 🙂
Thank you for your feedback Grace!
Can I make the curd filling the day before? Refrigerate, Bring up to temp, and bake the next day?
Absolutely! As long as the crust and filling are kept separately, you can assemble the tart the day of and do the last baking step. Happy baking!
I’ve now made this tart for several gatherings and it is always a giant hit — best tarte au citron recipe ever. Thank you!
Fantastic, thanks!
I baked this tart and everyone is still raving that the tart was excellent , delicious !
Comparable to any lemon tart told in France.
Amazing, thank you for your feedback Josie!
This recipe is incredible! Thank you for sharing
Thank you for your feedback!
[…] 30. French Lemon Tart (Tarte Au Citron) […]
Just made this it goes to the top of the list in the hunt for the perfect Lemon Tart, thank you for the recipe
Fantastic, thanks!
Really wonderful tart au citron! It took me a time or two to really get the pate sucre down (I don’t do a lot of baking), but this is really just perfect. I love the crumbly-sweet crust and the sharp tanginess of the lemon curd. This has become one of my go-to recipes for special occasions.
Fantastic, thank you for your feedback Jessie!
Lemon tart is my favourite tart and the recipe works every time! Even with gluten-free flour for my dad, so that is a great thing.
Thank you!
This was excellent, we love lemon and this was very lemony ! To make it easier I did not roll out the crust but just pressed it into the tart pan, also used my food processor. Served to the staff and dancers at Magnolia Mound today we had 100 8th graders tour. I volunteer in the kitchen house. Also made your crusty bread in the wood oven for the second time. I will make this again shortly. (I did not make it as a demo plate at Magnolia Mound because it was 91 degrees / 32c and I was afraid the custard would not chill.)
Thank you!
I have made this tart many times over the years, using Meyer lemons. It is always wonderful and easy to make.
Fantastic review, thank you!
[…] receita do blog Pardon Your French é basicamente a tarte de limão clássica tipicamente francesa, mais conhecida como “tarte au […]
Hi! Made it today & it’s cooling down while I am sending you this email. It looks gorgeous… A keeper recipe!! Only thing was, my tart shell base was bumpy bcos I forgot to dork it 🙁
TQ for sharing. Will be trying your Financier recipe soon.
Thank you, Ani! I hope you all enjoyed the taste. And we’ve all been there with forgetting to dock the base of a tart shell, and you never remember until it’s too late. But, it’s just an excuse to make another one soon!
[…] recipe from: Pardon your French […]
Why does this recipe have so many eggs? I’m just curious because checking it against other lemon curd recipes most have fewer eggs than this.
Joseph, good question. I can’t speak on behalf of all recipes, but the French version of this tart relies on eggs as a thickener, whereas many other recipes will utilize flour or starch to help thicken the curd. I personally prefer the texture this gives as well, but both are delicious!
I made this tarte at the weekend, my first ever lemon tart! It was delicious! However it wasn’t as set as the one in your picture, any clues on where I went wrong please?
Thank you so much, Anne! Congrats on the your first (and successful) lemon tart! The lemon in this tart is not like a traditional american lemon pie, in that the filling in this variation is more creamy than “set”. Hard to know if what you’re describing in the correct texture, or if yours was still less set than it should be. That being said, my first thought would be to cook the custard an extra minute or two, before removing from the stove. I think that’d likely do it.
Merci beaucoup! I will cook it a little longer next time! We live in dept.22 and I thought it about time I tried to make this yummy tart! I am not a baker, baking is a big no for me usually, but you explain the process so well and the recipe was easy to follow. It really was delicious and my son said it was the best lemon tart he has ever tasted!
Wow, that is some seriously high praise!!!! Nothing wrong with making this a little more often until you’ve perfected that texture! I’m so happy to have helped making baking a little less intimidating for you… If you can make a tarte au citron, you can make plenty of other desserts too, I promise!
Hi there, I’m going to give this a try to take to a BBQ this weekend. I had a question about the oven temperatures, are these for a conventional or convection oven? I only have a convection oven, so I usually just decrease the temperatures by 20 degrees C, thanks!
Hello, Jim! Thanks for reaching out. Unless specifically stated, all my recipes are done in a conventional oven. You are absolutely correct that you should lower the temperature when using a convection oven, by about 25-30F or 15C.
Happy baking and hope you enjoy!
Hi Audrey, your recipe looks amazing! I’m going to make a tarte au citron for my mum’s 50th and am trying to find a tasty recipe. I’ve noticed that in your custard filling you use butter instead of double cream. How does butter change the taste and texture of the tart? Is it quite different from tarts made with double cream?
I look forward to hearing from you.
With best wishes, Liv
Hello, Liv! I am going to answer this question assuming you know that this French Lemon Tart is similar, but different in taste and texture to American lemon pies (as mentioned, the filling is more of a custard in texture than an American version). That said, it isn’t completely a custard, but the best way to describe the difference in textures.
To be completely honest, I don’t even remember the last time I had this recipe using cream, if ever. When I’ve made this recipe, or when I purchase it at local bakeries/markets in France, it always seems to be made using butter – which adds a richness and lusciousness that exceeds that of cream (in my opinion). I think the two would be pretty comparable overall, but my gut says to stick with the butter, especially when you’re celebrating something like a 50th birthday!
Whichever recipe you end going with, I hope you try this version one day and see if you notice any difference between butter and double cream. I’m sure both will be absolutely delicious!
So tart…. Delicious… got thumbs up from the family…
Much appreciated, Victoria. I absolutely adore this tart… And it’s my husband’s favorite (depending on the day) as well. So glad you enjoyed it and for letting me know.
This was unsurprisingly absolutely delicious! Not to mention a hit with friends and family. I loved that it was less sweet and more tart, and everyone else seemed to agree. I’m used to making pastry in a food processor though, would it be possible to do with this recipe? I did it by hand as the butter was room temperature but I think it was slightly tough compared to my usual pastries made quickly in a food processor.
Thank you so much, Amanda! So glad you and your guests enjoyed this delicious tart. To answer your question, you can absolutely make the pastry in a food processor if you have one. I know that’s a very common way to do it, you just have to be cautious not to overwork the dough. 🙂
I made this yesterday, chilled it overnight and took it to a ladies’ lunch today. I received rave reviews….it was delicious!! I think next time I’ll bake the crust a bit longer as it could have done with a bit more browning and crispness. I covered the blind-baked crust with foil and used sugar as the weight rather than pie weights. This is truly a keeper recipe which I’ll make again for the next special occasion. Audrey, Thank for you for such detailed and easy-to-follow instructions.
Amazing, Sara! So glad it turned out for you and that it received the reviews it did… You definitely nailed it! Crust is tricky when it comes to baking, as flours, butters and oven temperatures differ slightly, so if you know that your crust needs a few extra minutes, then you should be perfect for the next time. Now I’m really craving a slice 🙂
I made this as written and it was stunningly delicious. I’d like to serve it at an upcoming luncheon and one of my guests is diabetic. Do you think I could successfully use Lakanto’s erythritol and monk fruit extract sweetener in place of sugar? I use it in my Southern iced tea…it tastes nearly identical to sugar and is a 1:1 replacement. Others bake with it successfully, but I would like to know if anyone has tried this specific recipe with this or other natural sugar substitute.
Thank you so very much, Sara, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this tart! I’m also hoping someone will be able to answer your question who is more familiar with this product. But, if I may… If you’re willing (and have the ingredients on hand) maybe you can just try doing a half filling test recipe (without the crust), just to see if the filling sets once prepared. I have some doubts, because sugar plays a role in the thickening of the filling too and not just for sweetening, but it’s very possible it may work. Just a thought!
[…] Tarte au citron […]
I made this yesterday as a treat for my family. The pastry came together beautifully, the sweetness and tartness were spot on, and the texture of the custard was perfect. Lovely recipe – thank you.
Nb. I halved the recipe and it made enough for three 4-inch tartlet tins. Followed the blind baking instructions suggested in previous comments (7mins with beans, 4-5 without), but think it needed longer with the beans. I also baked for 8-9 mins with the custard and that worked well.
Just one question – all was perfect, except there was a strong eggy taste/smell in the custard at the end of it all. What would you suggest I do to get round this?
So glad you enjoyed it Fatima, and thank you so much for leaving tips for other readers who may halve the recipe or make tartlets (it’s very helpful!). As for the eggy taste/smell, I am truly perplexed. Of course, there is egg present, so smelling it isn’t far-fetched, but I can’t honestly say I’ve ever had te custard smell eggy… And that would definitely be not so appetizing for a lemon tart. Just to be certain, you would have used 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks, correct (since you did half a recipe)? And the eggs were large sized, and no extra-large?
Just want to be sure so we can eliminate things. 🙂
Many thanks Audrey for your reply. Yes, I noticed that no else seemed to have the issue so not sure why I did! Two whole large eggs and two large egg yolks. Perhaps the eggs I used had quite a strong taste or perhaps they were on the larger size? I will just have to make it again with a different set of eggs to find out!
No worries, Fatima. An eggy taste has to come from the eggs, so I suspect either your eggs were too large, or they just had a weird scent to them. Definitely try again, and I think that odor shouldn’t reappear. 🙂
Hi, can the lemon tart be frozen? Thank you.
Yes Christina, I have frozen this tart with success! Thawed within a few weeks is best, but up to 2 months is possible. Just give it time to thaw, preferably in the fridge, for a day or so before enjoying.