The Best Ever Lemon Tart Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Rub the butter into the flour until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar, then make a well and use a round-bladed knife to stir in the oil, egg yolk and 1½-2 tbsp cold water until dough comes together. Without overhandling, gather into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out so it fits a 23 x 2cm loose-bottom flan tin. Ease the pastry into the tin, then trim the edges by rolling the rolling pin over the top. Press the pastry into the flutes so it sits very slightly proud of the edge (this extra height helps in case of any shrinkage). Lightly prick the pastry base with a fork, then chill for about 10 mins. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat the eggs and egg whites together with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then gradually beat in the eggs. If the mix is at all lumpy, simply beat with a wire whisk. Stir in the lemon zest and the juice. Leave to stand so the lemon flavour can develop.
• Sit the chilled pastry case on a baking sheet. Line with baking parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 20 mins until well set. Carefully lift out the beans and paper, then bake the pastry case for another 3-5 mins until the base is cooked and pale golden.
• Strain the lemon mixture through a sieve. Beat the crème fraîche in a medium bowl until smooth, then slowly stir in the lemon mix until well blended. Transfer to a jug, then carefully pour two thirds into the warm pastry case. Place in the oven with the oven shelf half out, pour in the rest of the filling, then carefully slide the shelf back in. Reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Bake for 25-30 mins until barely set with a slight wobble in the middle. Cool for about 1 hr, then serve with a light dusting of icing sugar. Best eaten the same day.

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
• Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough.
• Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. (There may be some cracks in the crust; they will not affect the finished tart.)
• For the sabayon:
• Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.
• Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
• Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

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!

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.

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!

Steps:

• Fit piecrust into a lightly greased 9 1/2-inch tart pan; press into fluted edges. Fold any excess dough over outside of pan, and pinch to secure to pan. (This will keep piecrust from sliding down pan as it bakes.) Generously prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork, and freeze 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°. Place piecrust on a baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes or until completely cool. Gently tap excess crust from sides of pan, using a rolling pin.
• Microwave white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.
• Beat softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, and beat until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Add Lemon Curd, and beat until blended.
• Spoon into prepared crust. Smooth filling with a spatula. Chill 4 hours.
• Arrange lemon candies evenly on top of tart. Prop Caramelized Sugar Spirals against lemon candies.
• Note: For testing purposes only, we used Lemon Drops candies.
• Lime Velvet Tart: Substitute Lime Curd for Lemon Curd, and prepare recipe as directed.
• Lemon Mousse Tart: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 4. Beat 2 cups heavy cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into lemon mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared crust, mounding mixture in center of tart. (Mixture will be about 2 inches higher than top edge of crust.) Chill 4 hours. Garnish with lemon curls and fresh raspberries, if desired.
• Lime Mousse Tart: Substitute Lime Curd for Lemon Curd, and proceed with Lemon Mousse Tart recipe as directed.
• Directions for Lemon Curd:.
• Bring sugar, zest, and juice to a boil in a heavy nonaluminum 3 1/2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk about one-fourth hot juice mixture into egg yolks; add egg yolk mixture to remaining hot juice mixture, whisking constantly until well blended.
• Place saucepan over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly, at least 10 or up to 12 minutes. (Mixture will be a pudding-like thickness.).
• Add butter, in 6 batches, whisking constantly until butter melts and mixture is well blended after each addition. Remove from heat, and pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on warm curd (to prevent a film from forming); chill 3 hours.
• Lime Curd: Substitute lime zest and lime juice for lemon zest and lemon juice. Proceed with recipe as directed.
• Directions for Caramelized Sugar Spirals:.
• Stir together sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water in a 3 1/2-qt. heavy saucepan until blended. Place pan over medium-high heat, and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 305° to 315° or until mixture begins to turn a golden caramel color (about 25 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat, and stir just until color is evenly distributed, using a clean wooden spoon. Carefully place bottom of saucepan into cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove from water, and let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Sprinkle crushed lemon candies over a piece of parchment paper. Carefully spoon about 1 tablespoons hot syrup over candies in a circular motion, creating 3-inch discs. (If syrup gets too thick, place saucepan back over heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until syrup slightly melts. Use a clean spoon to continue making spirals.) Let cool 10 minutes or until completely cool. (Mixture will harden as it cools.).