French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)
A crisp, buttery sweet pastry case filled with a smooth, zingy lemon cream that sets like silk. Bright, fresh and the perfect end to a rich meal.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the pastry
Rub the flour, butter and together with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and bring together into a dough, then flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- 200 g flour
- 100 g cold butter
- 60 g
- 1 yolk + 1 tbsp water egg yolk and cold water
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, holds together and no longer sticky
Line the tin
Roll out the chilled dough thinly and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, pressing it into the edges. Prick the base with a fork, chill for 15 minutes, and heat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
- all the pastry dough from step 1
✅ Done when: pastry fits snugly in the tin with no gaps and feels firm
Bake the case
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Make the lemon filling
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Bake the tart
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Cool and serve
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Make the pastry
Rub the flour, butter and together with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and bring together into a dough, then flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- 200 g flour
- 100 g cold butter
- 60 g
- 1 yolk + 1 tbsp water egg yolk and cold water
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, holds together and no longer sticky
Line the tin
Roll out the chilled dough thinly and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, pressing it into the edges. Prick the base with a fork, chill for 15 minutes, and heat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
- all the pastry dough from step 1
✅ Done when: pastry fits snugly in the tin with no gaps and feels firm
Bake the case
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Make the lemon filling
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Bake the tart
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Cool and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Lemon tarts have been made in France since at least the 1800s, and the town of Menton on the Riviera, famous for its lemons, celebrates them every year at its Lemon Festival. In Paris, the tarte au citron is a fixture in every pâtisserie window.
The filling is a simple lemon custard: eggs, sugar, cream and lots of juice, baked gently until it sets smooth and glossy.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's one of the great classics of French pastry, prized for its balance of sweet and sour.
💡 Fun Fact
The Menton Lemon Festival builds giant sculptures from more than 100 tonnes of citrus fruit.
France (Menton and Paris pâtisseries)
43.78°N, 7.50°E
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