Lemon Tart Buttery Crust (Printable)

Zesty lemon filling atop a crisp, buttery crust offers a refreshing, elegant finish for spring gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Buttery Crust

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

→ Lemon Filling

07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 2 large egg yolks
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Garnish

14 - Powdered sugar for dusting
15 - Thinly sliced lemon wheels
16 - Fresh berries or mint leaves

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - In a food processor, pulse together flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse just until dough comes together, adding additional water if needed.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes if time allows.
04 - Roll out dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough into pan, trim edges, and prick base with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
05 - Bake crust for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper. Bake another 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
06 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, melted butter, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
07 - Pour filling into warm crust. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is just set but still slightly wobbly.
08 - Cool tart completely on a wire rack. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
09 - Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with lemon slices, berries, or mint leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in a French patisserie, but the actual hands-on time is shockingly short.
  • The filling is pure sunshine in tart form—bright enough to make even a gray day feel special.
  • Once you master this, you'll have a dessert that impresses literally everyone without the stress.
02 -
  • Don't skip blind baking the crust—without it, your filling will seep through and create a soggy bottom, which is genuinely disappointing after all this effort.
  • The filling will look like it's not done when you pull it out, and that's exactly right; it firms up as it cools, so trust the slight wobble in the center.
  • Room temperature eggs whisk into the sugar more smoothly than cold ones, so pull them out of the fridge while you're preparing everything else.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your food processor bowl and blade before making the crust—it sounds fancy but it genuinely changes how the butter stays cold.
  • A tart pan with a removable bottom isn't just convenient; it's essential for presenting this beauty without mangling it when you try to get it out of a regular springform pan.
  • Make the tart a day ahead if you're serving it for guests; it takes the pressure off and tastes even better when flavors have had time to develop.
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