Homemade Lemon Tart
I've previously shared a lemon tart recipe on this blog. This one is a bit different. It's a bit more involved because we're using a yellow short dough instead of my sugar cookie dough. We're also adding a bit of blueberry sauce on the bottom to bump up the flavor. It's a bit more work, but well worth it in my opinion. Spring is officially here and this tart is a great way to indulge in it.
REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE:
- Bright and tangy flavor
- Flaky pastry crust
- Wonderful flavor combination - blueberries and lemon
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE LEMON TART:
Blueberry Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and zest. Stirring frequently, and bring to a low boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch to form a slurry mixture.
- Begin to gently mash down some of the blueberries with your wooden spoon. After the mixture reaches a low boil and thickens up, remove from the heat and stir in the slurry mixture. Bring it back on the heat for a minute or so and continue to cook. After roughly a minute, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. This mixture will thicken as it sits. Pour the sauce into a separate container and allow it to come up to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and placing it in the fridge to cool down.
- Note: If you find the sauce to be thicker than your liking, add some water.
Tart Dough
- Now we can work on our dough. Begin by boiling your eggs for 15 minutes. After they're done boiling, place them in an ice bath to cool down. Once they've completely cooled down, peel them. Cut the egg in half lengthwise and scoop out the boiled yolk. Place the yolks in a separate bowl and set them aside. You can eat or discard the boiled whites.
- Now push the yolks through a strainer until you have a fluffy yolk mixture. Set this yolk mixture to the side as well. Begin by creaming your butter in a stand mixer at medium speed for about a minute. Gradually add in the granulated sugar at a medium-low speed. Add in your boiled yolk mixture all at once and continue to mix. Stop the mixer scrape the bowl and paddle well.
- At a low speed, add the whole eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Once you have a smooth paste, you can stop the mixer and dump all the flour in at once. Turn the mixer back on to the lowest setting and mix until combined. The mixture will appear somewhat crumbly, but that's normal. If clumps together in your hand like wet sand you know it's good. If you feel it's too dry, feel free to add some water to the mixture and mix it in until it's moistened enough to clump together. Use your judgment. You must let this dough rest for a few hours. Wrap it up in plastic wrap in a tube or disc shape. Let it rest in the fridge for at least four hours or up to overnight.
- You can use your rolling pin to roll out your dough into a 10 or 11" circle depending on your tart pan size or you can place the dough in the pan and work it in with your hands. Either method is fine. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the bottom of the crust and the edges. Use a knife to cut off any excess dough from the top edges. Then, use a fork to poke the bottom and sides of the crust (dock the dough). Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, ensuring you check on it at the 15-minute mark. The dough should be cooked, but it won't take on too much color. If it puffs up a bit out of the oven, that's fine because it will flatten as it cools. Once the tart shell is baked, set it aside to allow it to cool.
Blueberry Layer
- Once the shell is cooled enough, spread the blueberry sauce we made earlier into the bottom of the tart pan in an even thin layer. Set aside.
Curd Filling
- In a double boiler, add in the first set of curd ingredients and begin to cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Cook until this mixture reaches 180°F and becomes thicker. Once it reaches 180°F, remove it from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Immediately add in the chunks of butter a few at a time and whisk until everything is well combined. If it coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger through without it dripping or leaving a track, you know it's done. Stir in the vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
Curd Layer
- Immediately pour the curd mixture into your prepared tart pan. Even out the top if necessary. Allow this to sit in the fridge for at least four hours or up to overnight. Cover with a bigger cake pan. For instance, my tart pan is an 8" pan and I covered it with a tall 10" cake pan. This prevented the curd from crusting and we eliminated excess airflow.
- Once the tart is set, decorate as you please and serve immediately!
SOME MORE GREAT LEMON RECIPES:
SHOP MY BAKING ESSENTIALS:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/fayesfood
Homemade Lemon Tart
Homemade Lemon Tart
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Tart Dough
- 1 lb unsalted butter slightly cool
- 0.5 lb granulated sugar
- 6 boiled egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
- 1.5 lbs cake flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- zest from one lemon optional
Curd Filling
- 3 whole eggs
- 2.5 egg yolks
- Lemon juice and zest from 3 large lemons
- 5 oz unsalted butter room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon powdered gelatin mixed with ½ tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and zest. Stirring frequently, bring to a low boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch to form a slurry mixture.
- Begin to gently mash down some of the blueberries with your wooden spoon. After the mixture reaches a low boil and thickens up, remove from the heat and stir in the slurry mixture. Bring it back on the heat for a minute or so and continue to cook. After roughly a minute, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. This mixture will thicken as it sits. Pour the sauce into a separate container and allow it to come up to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and placing it in the fridge to cool down.
- Now we can work on our dough. Begin by boiling your eggs for 15 minutes. After they're done boiling, place them in an ice bath to cool down. Once they've completely cooled down, peel them. Cut the egg in half lengthwise and scoop out the boiled yolk. Place the yolks in a separate bowl and set them aside. You can eat or discard the boiled whites.
- Now push the yolks through a strainer until you have a fluffy yolk mixture. Set this yolk mixture to the side as well. Begin by creaming your butter in a stand mixer at a medium speed for about a minute. Gradually add in the granulated sugar at a medium-low speed. Add in your boiled yolk mixture all at once and continue to mix. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl and paddle well.
- At a low speed, add in the whole eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Once you have a smooth paste, you can stop the mixer and dump all the flour in at once. Turn the mixer back on to the lowest setting and mix until combined. The mixture will appear somewhat crumbly, but that's normal. If clumps together in your hand like wet sand you know it's good. If you feel it's too dry, feel free to add some water to the mixture and mix it in until it's moistened enough to clump together. Use your judgment. You must let this dough rest for a few hours. Wrap it up in plastic wrap in a tube or disc shape. Let it rest in the fridge for at least four hours or up to overnight.
- You can use your rolling pin to roll out your dough into a 10 or 11" circle depending on your tart pan size or you can place the dough in the pan and work it in with your hands. Either method is fine. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the bottom of the crust and the edges. Use a knife to cut off any excess dough from the top edges. Then, use a fork to poke the bottom and sides of the crust (dock the dough). Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, ensuring you check on it at the 15-minute mark. The dough should be cooked, but it won't take on too much color. If it puffs up a bit out of the oven, that's fine because it will flatten as it cools. Once the tart shell is baked, set it aside to allow it to cool.
- Once the shell is cooled enough, spread the blueberry sauce we made earlier into the bottom of the tart pan in an even thin layer. Set aside.
- In a double boiler, add in the first set of curd ingredients and begin to cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Cook until this mixture reaches 180°F and becomes thicker. Once it reaches 180°F, remove it from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Immediately add in the chunks of butter a few at a time and whisk until everything is well combined. If it coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger through without it dripping or leaving a track, you know it's done. Stir in the vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Immediately pour the curd mixture into your prepared tart pan. Even out the top if necessary. Allow this to sit in the fridge for at least four hours or up to overnight. Cover with a bigger cake pan. For instance, my tart pan is an 8" pan and I covered it with a tall 10" cake pan. This prevented the curd from crusting and we eliminated excess airflow.
- Once the tart is set, decorate as you please and serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- You will have extra dough and blueberry sauce. You can save it for another time or attempt to make another tart. If you're saving your dough, place it well wrapped in the freezer for up to a month.
- If you find the sauce to be thicker than your liking, add some water.
- The tart dough should rest for at least a few hours or up to overnight.
- Bloom the gelatin in the cold water
- This will last covered in the fridge for a few days.
- If you find the dough too dry and crumbly, add some water.
