Lemon Tart Buttery Crust (Printable Page)

A zesty lemon tart paired with a crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry ideal for elegant 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

# Steps:

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.
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, then 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 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 if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The filling is impossibly silky and bright without being aggressively sweet or sour, which means even people who say they don't like lemon will ask for seconds.
  • The crust stays genuinely crisp even after hours of sitting, a detail that separates homemade from the grocery store versions.
02 -
  • If your filling cracks on top, it overcooked—next time pull it out when the center still wobbles slightly, because it will continue to cook as it cools and will set perfectly without that unforgiving cratered surface.
  • The crust stays crisp only if you let it cool and chill, which seems counterintuitive when you're hungry, but moisture is the enemy of a crunchy base.
03 -
  • If your butter cubes start to soften during the pulsing process, pop everything back in the fridge for five minutes—it takes just a moment and saves the entire crust from becoming tough.
  • The moment you see the first tiny wobble in the center of the filling when you shake the pan, turn off the oven, as carryover heat will finish the job perfectly while you're not paying attention.
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