French Lemon Pie Recipes

CLASSIC FRENCH LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the « pâte sucrée » crust.
• In large mixing bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract, almond flour and egg, and mix until homogeneous. Add the all-purpose flour and salt, and mix until just incorporated and the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in a plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours, minimum.
• Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C).
• Take the pâte sucrée out of the fridge, place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Unpeel the top sheet of parchment paper, transfer the crust to a 9-inch tart pan (trim the sides if needed) and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Chill it again for 30 minutes. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.
• Bake the pâte sucrée for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden.
• Set the tart shell aside to cool (still in the dish). Leave your oven on at 350F/180C.
• In the meantime, make the lemon filling.
• Grab a fine-mesh strainer before you start and have it ready within arm's reach.
• In a medium saucepan (no heat yet), whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, salt, egg yolks and eggs. Add the cubed butter and turn the heat to medium. Whisk slowly until the butter is all melted. Continue whisking steadily for several minutes until the mixture thickens to a thin custard consistency.
• Immediately pass the lemon filling through the fine mesh strainer, directly into the tart shell. Using an offset spatula (or back of a large spoon), smooth out the top of the filling. Bake the tart for 5 minutes, until the filling has slightly set and turned slightly deeper in color.
• Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy slightly warm or chilled.

FRENCH LEMON PIE

Steps:

• Line 9-inch pie plate with shell and flute edge.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs well.
• Add corn syrup, lemon peel and juice and melted butter.
• Combine sugar and flour and stir into egg mixture.
• Pour into unbaked pastry shell.
• Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.
• Chill.
• Top with dollops of whipped cream to serve.

FRENCH CANADIAN LEMON PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place frozen pie shell on a baking sheet, let stand 10 minutes.
• Then, using a fork, prick bottom and side of shell in several places.
• Bake on bottom rack of oven until crust is pale golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove shell from oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, finely grate 2 teaspoons peel from lemons onto a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Wrap and set aside to use for cream later.
• Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from lemons.
• In large bowl, whisk eggs.
• Gradually whisk in 3/4 Cup sugar until dissolved.
• Whisk in lemon juice, then 1/2 Cup cream until evenly mixed.
• Pour into warm pie shell.
• Bake in preheated 375 oven until centre is set when jiggled, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Before serving, pour remaining 1/2 Cup cream into a bowl.
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and the reserved lemon peel.
• Beat until soft peaks will form when beaters are lifted.
• Serve pie warm, room temperature or cold.
• Slice into wedges and serve with a dollop of the lemon scented cream and garnish with some strawberries.

FRENCH LEMON PIE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees F (bottom rack).
• In a bowl, beat eggs for about 3 minutes.
• Add in corn syrup, rind and melted butter; mix to combine.
• In a small bowl, mix together flour and sugar.
• Add to the egg mixture; mix to combine well.
• Pour into unbaked prepared pie shell.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature, then chill before serving.
• Just before serving, mound/spread on the whipped cream on top of the pie.