Lemon Tarts Recipe From Scratch

SWEET AND SIMPLE LEMON TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
• Combine butter with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; stir in 1 cup flour. Press dough into prepared baking pan; pierce crust with fork in several places to prevent crust from puffing up during baking.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until slightly golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Whisk white sugar and eggs in a bowl; stir 3 tablespoons flour into mixture and add lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into baked tart crust.
• Bake until filling is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool and dust with 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar.

MINI LEMON TARTS

Steps:

• Mix flour, butter, and salt together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, or with a pastry blender, until dough becomes crumbly. Add ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the consistency is smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup cupcake pan.
• Roll out dough on a cutting board and cut into 3-inch circles using a scalloped cookie cutter. Place dough into the prepared pan, pressing down the sides to fit.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, butter, and lemon zest in a heavy, non-aluminum saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and filling thickens slightly. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl and cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour filling into the dough cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is set, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

LEMON TART RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the lemon curd: In a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and heavy cream, if using, and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Cook on moderate heat, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick (mine was ready in 10 minutes, but it can take up to 20). If you have a thermometer, it should register 170°F/75°C; otherwise, it should coat the back of a wooden spoon and leave a clear pass if you run your finger through it. The curd will thicken more once cooled.
• Remove from heat and immediately strain mixture through a sieve. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, and whisk until completely melted and incorporated, and mixture is smooth. Take your time with it-the whisking makes for an airy and light texture. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling the tart. (Lemon curd can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, place overnight in the fridge. Whisk the mixture to smoothen it before using.)
• Fill the tart shell with lemon curd, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until chilled. Serve with berries and whipped cream if you like. The tart is rich, so cut your servings small.

LEMON TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• For the shells, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle cold water evenly over the surface. Stir with a fork until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Shape the dough into a ball and chill.
• When chilled, roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 1/4 inch rounds. Fit each pastry round into 3 inch tart pans. Prick with a fork.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
• Place the butter in the top of a double boiler. Bring the water in the double boiler to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the butter melts. Combine the sugar and cornstarch, stirring well. Add to the butter and stir until smooth. Stir in the eggs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the lemon juice. Cook 3-4 minutes longer or until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Cool. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of lemon filling into each cooled tart shell.
• Before serving, top each tart with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Makes 22 tarts.

THE BEST LEMON TART EVER

Steps:

• Combine butter, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer; mix ingredients thoroughly with a paddle attachment. Mix flour into butter mixture to make a smooth dough. Press dough into a 9-inch tart pan; refrigerate crust for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake crust until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Whisk sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl until smooth. Pour lemon filling into crust. Cover edges of crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake tart until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar.

LEMON MERINGUE TARTS

Steps:

• For the crust: Place 12 identical 3 1/4-inch brioche a tete molds in the freezer.
• Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to 2 to 4 times, then add butter and pulse 8 to 10 times, until texture looks mealy and no large lumps of butter remain. Pour on water and pulse 5 times. (At this point, the mixture should hold together when squeezed.) Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and draw the plastic up around it, squeezing and pressing the dough into a ball. Flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap and place on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Dust the top of the disk with a small amount of flour and top with a second sheet of parchment. Roll dough out into a round 1/8-inch thick. Use a 5-inch biscuit cutter and cut 6 circles out of the dough. Re-roll once if necessary.
• Remove the brioche molds from the freezer. Line 6 of the molds with the dough, being careful to press the dough into all the nooks and crannies. Gently run the rolling pin over the tops of the molds to trim the edges. Nestle each of the empty brioche molds inside the molds with the dough. Place the sandwiched molds in the freezer refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven with a second just beneath it.
• Remove the sandwiched molds from the freezer. Place them, inverted, directly on the center rack with a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any butter that might render out. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the molds from the oven. Flip right-side up and remove the top molds.
• Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F, return the tart shells to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove the tart shells from the oven and let cool completely on a baking rack before removing the shells from the molds.
• For the lemon filling: Whisk egg yolks until light in color in a medium nonreactive bowl and set aside.
• Whisk cornstarch, sugar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by slowly adding the hot starch mixture to them in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until a third of the starch mixture has been worked into the eggs, then return that mixture to the saucepan. Whisk in the butter and continue heating until just boiling.
• Stir in the lemon juice and zest, reduce heat to medium-low and whisk constantly until mixture returns to a boil. Cook for 1 full minute more, then transfer to a medium bowl over an ice bath. Cool, stirring occasionally, until the curd is just slightly warmer than room temperature. (Do not chill or cool completely, or the curd will become difficult to spread.) Pour or use a pastry or zip top bag with the corner cut off to pipe the mostly cooled curd into the tart shells until flush with the tops of the shells. Cool filled tarts completely on a baking rack while you make the meringue topping.
• For the meringue: Whisk together the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the heat-proof bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F. Then return the bowl to the base of the stand mixer and whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• Pipe the meringue to cover the top of the cooled tarts. Brown the meringue under a preheated low broiler, about 1 minute, or with a kitchen torch.

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

SIMPLE LEMON TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove short-crust dough from refrigerator. Remove parchment paper covering top, and invert onto a baking sheet. Press an 11-inch flan ring in center of short-crust dough to cut out a circle. Keeping flan ring on baking sheet, trim excess dough from outside of ring, and reserve for another use. Prick circle of dough several times with a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Remove dough-lined flan ring from refrigerator. Bake until light golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
• Combine creme fraiche, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, vanilla bean, and sugar in a medium-size heatproof bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in softened gelatin sheets. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium-size bowl. Cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Set mixture in an ice bath to cool to 100 degrees.
• Add butter, and using a handheld immersion blender, mix for 5 minutes. Pour into prebaked tart shell. Chill until mixture is firm, 2 to 3 hours.
• Just before serving, sprinkle individual slices with a light, even layer of sugar. Caramelize sugar to a golden brown, using a blowtorch or placing under a broiler.

LEMON CURD TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch tart pan with 1-inch rim and removable bottom with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup sugar with spoon until well mixed. Stir in flour until blended (dough will be crumbly but can be pressed together). Pat and press dough very firmly on bottom and up sides of tart pan. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until crust is set in center but still pale. Cool 15 minutes.
• In 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Gradually stir in water, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat. Heat to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat.
• In small bowl, beat egg yolks with whisk. Gradually beat about 1/2 cup hot mixture into egg yolks. Gradually stir yolk mixture into hot mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to gently boil. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Pour over cooled baked crust. Cool at room temperature 15 minutes; refrigerate at least 3 hours until set.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle fresh berries on top. Serve with whipped cream. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

SHORTBREAD LEMON TART

Steps:

• Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice and orange zest. Whisk in butter until smooth. Set aside. , For crust, pulse first 6 ingredients in a food processor until mixture forms a ball. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. , Pour lemon mixture into crust. Bake until center is almost set, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and, if desired, fresh raspberries.

LEMON TART

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot liquid into egg yolks; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes longer (mixture will be very thick)., Remove from the heat; stir in butter and lemon zest. Gently stir in lemon juice. Cover and cool completely. , Fold in sour cream. Pour into pastry shell. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Garnish with whipped topping.

LEMON TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Fill a medium saucepan one-third full with water and bring to a simmer. Put the zest and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk in the eggs. Add the sugar and butter and place the bowl over the simmering water; the water must not touch the bottom of the bowl. Cook, whisking constantly, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan of hot water and allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes. Place the pre - baked tart shell on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and bake the tart for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the center is just set. Cool the tart completely on a wire rack. Make the garnish: Using a channel knife, cut 6 lengthwise grooves in the lemon, removing 6 strips of rind. Cut a crosswise slice from the center of the lemon and place it in the center of the tart. Slice the remaining lemon and place it in the center of the sections into half and then cut the sections into halfmoons. Arrange the slices around the edge of the tart with the cut sides out. If necessary, rewarm the apricot glaze over low heat or in the microwave. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the tart with the warm apricot glaze. Garnish with a few mint leaves.
• Sift together the confectioners' sugar, flour, and salt into a bowl. Place the butter in a food processor and process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Scatter the flour mixture over the butter, add the egg, and process just until the dough forms a mass; do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide it into 2 pieces. Shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

THE CHEF'S FAVORITE LEMON TART

Steps:

• Preparation for the tart shell: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolk mixture and pulse just until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Flatten into a 6-inch disc, wrap in plastic, and chill several hours or overnight. Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 13-inch round. Fit the dough into a 10 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the dough flush with the rim and freeze the tart shell until firm. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line the shell with foil or parchment and fill with pie weights, rice, or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes until set. Remove the foil and weights and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove the shell from the oven and immediately brush the hot pastry with the egg white.
• Hint: When rolling tart pastry, always save all the dough scraps in case you need them to repair a crack in a partially baked shell. If the pastry "bubbles up" during the baking process, gently prick the pastry with a fork to release air bubbles. Check several times and repeat if necessary. The egg white serves to seal the pastry, which is especially helpful with a liquid filling such as this. It is essential that there be no cracks or holes visible in the partially baked shell. Make any necessary repairs prior to filling.
• Preparation for the tart: When the pastry is almost done baking, assemble the filling. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest and orange zest and cream till smooth. Transfer the tart shell to the oven. Place the filling in a pitcher and slowly pour into the shell as high as possible without overfilling. There might be a bit of filling left over.
• Bake the tart for approximately 25 minutes, until the filling is barely set. Check the tart after 20 minutes and keep checking it every few minutes after that. It is crucial not to overbake this filling!
• Cool to room temperature before serving with berries and whipped cream.
• For serving: .

LEMON MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times until the butter is in small bits. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough and fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pan or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of the pan. Line the tart shell with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill it with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
• Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• For the meringue, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until frothy. With the mixer still running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until the meringue is thick and shiny, about 2 minutes.
• Immediately spread the lemon filling in the cooled tart shell and pipe the meringue over it with a large star tip. Be sure the meringue covers the entire top and touches the edges of the shell, to prevent it from shrinking. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 1 minute. On low speed, add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, and then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Don't worry; it will look curdled.
• Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until thick, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Whisk briskly when it starts to thicken and cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't allow it to boil! It will be 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature.

LEMON TART

Steps:

• Sift flour into a bowl. Mix in almonds, then rub in butter. Mix in confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Knead briefly on a lightly floured work surface. Wrap up and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• While dough rests, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan with butter.
• Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch and use to line the bottom and sides of the prepared pan. Prick all over with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Crack eggs into a bowl. Whisk in superfine sugar, heavy cream, and lemon zest and juice. Spoon filling into the pastry shell.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 45 minutes. Serve topped with mascarpone cheese.

FRENCH-STYLE LEMON TART RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Prepare the lemon curd by whisking the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest over a bain marie (a large bowl placed over a pan of simmering hot water).
• Once combined, mix in the butter and whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes, until thick.
• Pour into a pre-baked tart shell.
• Bake for 6 minutes.
• Whilst the tart is baking, prepare the raspberry chantilly by whipping the raspberries, sugar, vanilla extract and cream together.
• Leave the tart to cool before dusting with icing sugar.
• Serve with the raspberry chantilly, fresh raspberries and mint for garnish.
• Enjoy!

LEMON DUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Spread the lemon pie filling onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish in an even layer with a spatula.
• Sprinkle half of the cake mix in an even layer over the lemon pie filling. Add the pieces of the cream cheese evenly over the cake mix, then top with the remaining cake mix in an even layer. Add the butter pieces, spaced out evenly over the top of final cake mix layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the topping is browned and the cake mix powder has all absorbed and baked, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Serve topped with Cool Whip®.

THE BEST EVER LEMON TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 190°C, Gas Mark 5.
• Melt the butter gently and mix together with the flour, icing sugar and water. Press the soft dough into the base and up the sides of a fluted flan ring.
• Pierce the base several times and bake blind on a baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C, Gas Mark 2.
• Grate the rind of the lemon and then juice. Place caster sugar, eggs, cream, in a bowl with the lemon rind and juice. Whisk together until blended, then carefully pour into the cooked pastry case.
• Return to the oven and cook for a further 35-40 minutes until set.
• Enjoy!

THE PERFECT LEMON TART

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
• Have ready an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon of the zest, and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
• Pour in the butter mixture in a fine stream, stirring with a fork, and continue stirring until the dough begins to come together when a small bit is pressed between your fingers.
• Transfer the mixture to the tart pan and press it with your fingertips evenly up the side and into the bottom.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is light golden brown.
• Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling.
• Process the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of zest in a food processor until the zest is finely ground.
• Whisk together the eggs, the sugar and zest mixture, the lemon juice, and another pinchy of salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
• Beat the cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a medium bowl just until it forms soft peaks.
• Whisk the cream into the egg mixture until just blended.
• Place a baking sheet in the oven, place the crust on the baking sheet, and pour the filling into the still-warm crust.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is just set in the center.
• Let the pie cool on a wire rack.
• Just before service, generously sift confectioners' sugar over the tart.
• Cut into wedges and serve.
• Note: You may wish to use slightly less zest than called for, and taste the batter.
• My lemons were extremely powerful, and I only needed 1 1/2 Tablespoons total of zest.