Lemon Curd Tarts

When I think of lemon tarts, I think of the French classic, tarte au citron. However, the following recipe happens to be inspired by the lemon curd of the English kitchen.

A lemon tart is traditionally made with a shortcrust pastry base and filled with a tart lemon custard, and which is then baked in the oven until the filling is just set but still tender.

The best lemon tart I had ever eaten was actually a lemon meringue pie at Eleven Madison Park in New York, a few years ago over a business lunch. At the time, I was not aware of the culinary status of the restaurant, probably because I was a nobody within the company whose business lunches were often restricted to the work canteen (at my own cost). So when my colleagues suggested a restaurant in the vicinity of the office, I was expecting a make-your-own-sandwich kind of place. Once seated with the menu in front of me, I began to see how the other half lived.

The pastry was light and buttery, the lemon filling was sweet but with an edge of tartness, and the meringue topping was crisp and sweet. It was a simple dessert, but beautifully executed. Sadly, no attempt of mine could ever recreate the same experience at home. Every lemon tart or lemon meringue pie I tried to make failed to meet my taste memory of that particular dessert at Eleven Madison Park. And like my troubles with baked cheesecakes, I could never produce a lemon tart which would set with the right amount of wobble.

Which is why this particular recipe is such a blessing. This low fuss, no-bake lemon tart oozes homemade, rustic charm such that one need not worry about competing with a Michelin-starred dessert.

I found this recipe in a recent edition of Saveurs magazine, a popular glossy French food magazine which I love to pick up whenever I am in France (and not to be confused with the American food magazine of a similar name, Saveur). The simplicity of this recipe struck a chord with me and I was pleased to find that it was quite a forgiving recipe, that my clumsy piping skills were rather suited to the homespun look of these tartelettes. But despite the rough edges of these little beauties, they taste like something you might find in a fancy pâtisserie shop.

These lemon curd tarts are simply comprised of a base made with crushed biscuits and topped with a thickened lemon curd.

Use whichever moulds you like for these lemon curd tarts, and make them as big or as small as you wish. Non-stick tins will obviously provide for easier unmoulding.

The first time I made these lemon curd tarts, I used small brioche tins to produce dainty little tartelettes for an afternoon tea party. Once the biscuit base had set, I simply turned the tin upside down on the kitchen bench and gave it a light tap to release the base. However, this method was prone to crumbling the edges of the base a little (I was also in a bit of a hurry).

But a much easier (and less fiddly) method is to use a round biscuit or scone cutter and to place it directly on a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray which will fit in the fridge. Press some of the biscuit mixture into the cutter, about 1 cm high, and then carefully remove the cutter to leave behind a nice, round base. Repeat until all of the biscuit mixture is used. Then place the baking tray into the fridge for an hour or more to let the biscuit bases firm up.

An even more fuss-free option would be to make one large tart in a loose-bottomed flan tin, spread the lemon curd over the base and serve as is or decorated with fresh berries.

From one recipe, so many options.

5 stars (2 reviews)

Lemon Curd Tarts

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird

Prep1 hour hr

Cook20 minutes mins

RestChilling Time1 hour hr

Total2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Serves: 12 to 16 tarts

Delightful no-bake Lemon Curd Tarts made with crushed speculoos or digestive biscuits and topped with a homemade lemon curd. A simple but spectacular looking dessert! Recipe with step-by-step photos.

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Ingredients

• 80 g (⅔ stick) unsalted butter
• 200 g (7 oz) speculoos biscuits
• 4 lemons
• 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar, (superfine sugar)
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornflour, (US: cornstarch)

Instructions 

To Make the Tart Base

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and leave to cool slightly.
2. Place the speculoos biscuits in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Blitz the biscuits until they are fine and crumbly.
4. Add the melted butter and continue processing until the mixture resembles wet sand.
5. Line the moulds of your choice with some of the biscuit mixture, about 1 cm high. Alternatively, place a round biscuit or scone cutter directly onto a tray lined with baking paper. Press some biscuit mixture into the cutter, about 1 cm high, and then carefully remove the cutter to leave behind a nice, round base. Repeat until all of the biscuit mixture has been used.
6. Place the lined moulds in the fridge for at least 1 hour for the mixture to firm.

To Make the Lemon Curd

1. Squeeze the juice of the lemons.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, eggs and cornflour (cornstarch).
3. Pour the lemon mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens.
4. Pour the lemon curd into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap in direct contact with the curd, and place in the fridge to cool completely.

To Assemble the Tarts

1. Carefully unmould the bases.
2. Place a star nozzle into a large piping bag and fill it with the cold lemon curd.
3. Pipe the lemon curd onto the biscuit bases.

Kitchen Notes

• If you cannot find speculoos biscuits, a good alternative would be gingernut biscuits, plain chocolate biscuits or even digestive biscuits.
• You can make these tarts as big or as small as you like. For larger tarts, I recommend using small non-stick tart tins with a loose bottom.
• MAKE-AHEAD TIPS
  The lemon curd and the biscuit base keeps well in the fridge for 1-2 days. The tarts can be made a few hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge before serving. Any longer and the lemon curd won’t look so fresh and the biscuit base will go a bit soggy.
• OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
  All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
• CONVERSIONS
  To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition Information Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g, Calories: 122kcal, Carbohydrates: 16.6g, Protein: 1.6g, Fat: 5.8g, Cholesterol: 50.6mg, Sodium: 61.9mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugar: 8.1g

Did you make this recipe?

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