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A bright, zingy lemon curd is pretty hard to beat. Especially when it’s served inside a golden tart shell and topped with toasted meringue. This lemon curd tart lands somewhere between a French tarte au citron and an American lemon meringue pie.
The lemon curd is cooked on the stovetop, then poured into a fully baked pâte sucrée tart shell. After chilling for several hours until set, it’s finished with swirls of piped Swiss meringue that are toasted with a small kitchen torch.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Shortcrust Tart Shell: Like a classic French tart this one uses a batch of my pâte sucrée dough. For a thick tart I’m using a 9-inch round tart ring that is 1.4-inches deep (22cm x 3.5cm). You can also use a regular tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze the dough lined tart ring and blind bake it completely. I give all the steps for this in my recipe for shortcrust pastry.
- Test Note: Make the tart shell the day before and keep it in an airtight container at room temp.
- Fresh Lemons: It takes about 4 large lemons to make enough juice for the curd and plenty of lemon zest.
- French Butter: I prefer European unsalted butter with 82% butterfat for a rich custard.
- Test Note: American style sweet cream butter with 80% butterfat will also work. You can even get crazy and use salted butter instead.
- Cornstarch: To give the lemon filling a little extra stability for slicing, I whisk a bit of cornstarch into the beaten eggs.
- Egg Whites: For a fluffy meringue that beats up nicely, you’ll need fresh egg whites. Save the egg yolks for another recipe.
- Test Note: Make sure to whip the meringue to stiff peaks, so it will hold its shape on the tart. After storing in the fridge the meringue will get a bit soft and may need a quick torch refresh.
How to Assemble a Lemon Curd Tart
- Pour lemon curd filling into pre-baked tart shell.
- Level the lemon curd with an offset spatula and pop any bubbles with a toothpick. Chill in the fridge for 3-5 hours until set.
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Create a double broiler and continue to whisk until the temperature on an instant thermometer reads 160℉ (72℃).
- Place the mixing bowl on the stand mixer and whisk until it turns into stiff glossy peaks that hold their shape.
- Transfer meringue to piping bag with your desired tip. Pipe meringue across the chilled lemon tart.
- Take a kitchen torch and gently toast the top of the meringue.
Jenn’s Lemon Tart Tips
- Make Ahead: Make the tart shell the day before. The lemon curd filling and meringue can be made on the day you plan to serve.
- Check the Temp: Use a thermometer to make sure the curd has properly cooked on the stovetop to 178-180°F (80-82°C). Then, let it cool to 140°F (60°C) before stirring in the butter. Pouring hot liquid onto the butter will cause it to melt and disrupt the final setting of the lemon curd filling.
- Serve Chilled: This lemon curd is a lush silky filling and is best served cold. Don’t worry, it is stable enough to hold its shape at room temp once sliced.
- Slicing: Slice the tart with a long knife cutting straight down to prevent breaking the crust. Wipe the knife clean with warm water and a napkin in between slices. This will give you a nice clean slice.
- Storage: Place the finished tart in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. Much longer in the fridge will cause the tart and the meringue to become too moist.
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Lemon Curd Tart
Bright lemon curd tart with a sweet shortcrust shell and topped with toasted meringue.
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Equipment
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
Tart Shell
Lemon Curd Fillling
- 200 grams fresh lemon juice
- zest of two large lemons
- 180 grams granulated sugar, divided
- 200 grams (4 large) whole eggs
- 40 grams (2 large) egg yolks
- 30 grams cornstarch
- 260 grams unsalted European style butter, (82% butterfat), room temperature
Toasted Swiss Meringue
- 130 grams fresh egg whites
- 250 grams granulated sugar
Instructions
Tart Shell
- Line a 9-inch (22 cm) tart ring or a fluted tart pan with removable bottom with shortcrust pastry dough. Fully blind bake the crust according to directions in the pastry recipe. Let the tart shell cool completely.Sweet Tart Pastry – Pâte Sucrée
Lemon Curd Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together half of the sugar (90 grams), whole eggs, and egg yolks until frothy. Whisk in a quarter of the sifted cornstarch at time, until completely dissolved. If it accidentally gets lumps, run the whole mixture through a metal sieve.200 grams whole eggs, 40 grams egg yolks, 30 grams cornstarch
- Using a medium saucepan on medium heat, warm the remaining half the sugar (90 grams), lemon zest, and lemon juice until the sugar has dissolved.200 grams fresh lemon juice, zest of two large lemons, 180 grams granulated sugar
- Slowly pour the warm lemon juice, into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour everything back into the saucepan.
- Continue on medium heat and continue to stir the mixture with a whisk until it has thickened and reads 178-180°F (80-82°C) on an intsant read thermometer.
- Remove from heat and push the warm lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula into a clean bowl.
- Allow the lemon curd to cool at room temperature until it reaches 140℉ (60℃) on the thermometer. We don't want the butter to immediately melt when added. if it's too hot.
- Whisk in the butter cubes until dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Option to use a handheld immersion blender to mix.260 grams unsalted European style butter
Fill and Chill
- Pour the lemon curd filling into the pre-baked tart shell. Use an offset spatula to level the top.
- Place the tart in the fridge for 3-5 hours to set. The filling will firm in the fridge making it easy to slice.
Swiss Meringue
- Place a medium saucepan filled with 1-inch of water on medium heat.
- In the metal bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and granulated sugar. Immediately whisk by hand to create a foamy liquid.130 grams fresh egg whites, 250 grams granulated sugar
- Set the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double broiler.
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar continuously until the temperature on an instant thermometer reads 160°F (72°C). Carefully dip your finger into the hot sugar and rub the mixture between your fingertips. If you don't feel any grains of sugar, the mixture is ready. (about 6-8 minutes)
- Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and wipe the bottom of the bowl dry with a towel. Place the bowl on the mixing stand fitted with the whisk attachment and begin whipping on high speed.
- Continue to whip until a thick, glossy and marshmallow like meringue with stiff peaks is formed. Stiff peaks means the meringue will hold its shape and not sing back over on itself. Lift the whisk from the bowl and if the meringue is thick and creates a "peak" or point without slumping it's good to go. The bowl should be cool or at least room temperature to the touch. (about 8-10 minutes)
Final Topping
- Once the lemon curd filling is set, you can decorate the tart before serving. Transfer the whipped meringue to a plastic piping bag with your favorite piping tip. Pipe dollups or swirls of meringue across the top of the tart.
- Carefully toast the meringue with a kitchen torch on a low setting. Keep the torch moving to prevent over browning the meringue.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Storage: Place the finished tart in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. Much longer in the fridge will cause the tart and the meringue to become too moist.
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