Lemon Curd Tart

Mother’s Day came and went in a blur! I had every intention of sharing this traditional Lemon Curd Tart with creamy, dreamy lemon curd filling, that tastes just like the ones you’ll find in the best bakeries! It has been a family favorite for years!

This delightful Lemon Curd Tart as an idea for you to bake for your mom or any special lady you really love any time during the year. I am truly obsessed with sweet and slightly tart lemon curd! I believe lemon curd could go on any cake and fill any cake. It’s magical in pancake batter or in a moist Bundt cake! When I posted my Lemon Curd Bundt Cake someone said they never heard of lemon curd before. It’s basically a lemon flavored cream. It’s pretty simple to put together as it’s made with lemon juice, eggs, sugar, and a lot of butter.

I think you should make some!  Today I’m sharing my lemon curd recipe along with a sweet pastry dough to make it into a Lemon Curd Tart.

This tart requires 2 steps.

1. Make the tart crust. You’ll need to prepare the dough, then fully bake the crust before filling it with the lemon mixture. To make things easy, you can use a store-bought tart shell, and then you’ll only need to make the lemon curd.
2. Make lemon curd for the filling.  Prepare the lemon curd. When the curd is ready, spoon it into the crust and let it chill in fridge.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD FROM SCRATCH

Making lemon curd at home is really simple. You won’t ever need to buy lemon curd at the store again! This recipe is fool-proof, takes less than 10 minutes, and makes about 1 1/2 cups lemon curd.

You’ll need a 2-quart saucepan, a whisk, a fine mesh strainer (if you want to strain the lemon zest after cooking). If you aren’t using it immediately (for like a tart like this Lemon Curd Tart)you’ll need a clean glass jar with an airtight lid to store the lemon curd. Butter and eggs should be at room temperature, which makes it so much easier to whisk and get a smooth curd.

Whisk all the ingredients together in the saucepan over low-medium heat until the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, which could take about 8 minutes. Be sure to keep on stirring and stirring until the curd is smooth. Try have your family (and yourself!) resist from eating it while it’s still warm!

More Tips

Make sure you chill the lemon curd tart in the fridge for several hours before serving to avoid a runny filling. When you chill the lemon curd it will firm up which ensures cleaner and prettier slices.

Prep ahead and keep the tart covered tightly in the fridge. It’s the perfect tart to make a day ahead of time.  An option is to add a fluffy meringue to top the tart and even fresh berries. Or enjoy it in its simple and delightful state.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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Recipe has some adaptions from Martha Stewart and Ina Garten.

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

LEMON CURD TART

A traditional lemon tart with creamy, dreamy lemon curd filling, that tastes just like the ones you’ll find in the best bakeries! It has been a family favorite for years!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: lemon curd, tart

Servings: 1 9-inch tart

Ingredients

PASTRY

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
• 1/4 tsp salt

LEMON CURD

• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 4 large eggs plus 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice I used organic
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces (I used vegan sticks)

Instructions

PASTRY

• In food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, butter and salt just until moist crumb come together.
• Transfer dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom; with floured fingers, press evenly into bottom and up side of pan.
• Prick the dough with a fork. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes (until firm). Freeze until firm, 10 to 15 minutes; prick all over with a fork. Place the pan on a backing sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Bake until golden. If dough puffs while baking, gently press with a spoon back into the pan; cool completely.
• Let cool completely before adding the lemon curd.

LEMON CURD

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the colored zest from the lemons, leaving the white pith and add the zest to your sauce pan.
• Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and eggs in a small saucepan on medium heat, whisking constantly.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking the entire time for at least 10 minutes.
• Place the diced butter in a medium bowl.
• Place the pan over medium heat and add in the butter (or vegan butter). Stir until the butter has melted. Keep stirring until the curd is thick enough to coat back of a wooden spoon. Take care not to boil and to whisk very quickly; 5-7 minutes.
• Spoon out the curd over a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Be sure to spoon it out a small portion at a time into the sieve. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the curd let the lemon curd cool slightly, then spread it in the prepared tart shell.
• Chill the tart for at least 1-2 hours, or until the filling is firm. Unmold before serving. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Notes

All images and text  ©Savoring Italy.  Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.

All images and text ©Savoring Italy