Sweet Meyer lemons are used to make this tart tart. A salty shortbread crust and a touch of honey make it more interesting than your average lemon bar. This would be a beautiful dessert for Easter! Plus: make-ahead for the win. Originally published March 12, 2015.
Table of Contents
- You will love this Shortbread Lemon Tart
- Lemon Curd Tart Ingredients
- How to make a Lemon Tart
- How to serve a Lemon Curd Tart
- How to store a Shortbread Lemon Tart
- Meyer Lemon Tart FAQs
- Meyer Lemon Tart Recipe
Did you know that Meyer lemon trees have vicious thorns all over their limbs? VICIOUS. I would know because I was brutally attacked this morning. I woke up to rain (in California! I know! A miracle!) and a pretty firm hankering for something tart, so I pulled my boots and jacket on over my PJs (I don’t stop for trifles like Real Clotheswhen on a quest for citrus.) I headed over to my neighbor Joan’s tree and helped myself, looking and reaching straight up, getting rain in my eyes and thorn-stabbed all at once. It was quite the morning pick me up, I must say.
Have you guys seen the trailer that’s out for Far From the Madding Crowd? It’s gorgeous. I just watched it like 3 times in a row. I hated that book when I was in high school. I never finished it (I know, I know.) I just hated Bathsheba, and I don’t do well with main characters that I want to punch in the face every other page. (Scarlett O’Hara, anyone?)
Are you a loyal book-finisher? I’m terrible. Once I lose interest, I’m out. There are so many books, who has time to waste on crappy ones? I think I’m going to give Far from the Madding Crowd another shot though.
You will love this Shortbread Lemon Tart
Have you started thinking about your Easter menu yet? Don’t panic, it’s still a ways off, but might I suggest thisMeyer Lemon Tart for dessert? It has a touch of sweet honey to balance the lemon, and a salty crunchy (but not too crunchy) shortbread crust. It’s just perfect. The best part is that you can make it a few days ahead, so there’s no needto worry about prepping dessert after you’ve just served everyone ham and potatoes. Just pull it out of the fridge, give it a quick dusting of powdered sugar, and BOOM everyone is lost in a citrus haze of love.
Lemon Curd Tart Ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Butter
- Flour
- Powdered sugar
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Honey
- Meyer lemons
How to make a Lemon Tart
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray or butter.
- Add the butter and powdered sugar to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add it to the food processor (save the bowl) and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Grease your hands well, and press the crust into the pan about 1 and 1/2 inches up the sides.
- Bake at 325 for about 24 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to brown and the center is firm to the touch. When the crust is done, turn the oven down to 300 degrees F.
- While the crust is baking, make the filling: In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk in sugar, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to the egg mixture. Whisk it well.
- Pour the filling into the hot crust. Carefully transfer it to the oven and bake.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 3+ hours.
How to serve a Lemon Curd Tart
This tart is an incredible finish to your Easter or Mother’s Day meal. It works equally well for lunch, brunch, or teatime (if you’re fancy like that or actually British). You can make it in advance, sprinkle powdered sugar on right before serving, and impress your guests with your culinary prowess (even though it’s actually pretty easy).
How to store a Shortbread Lemon Tart
This lemon tart can be stored in the fridge for several days or frozen for up to three months. If you do freeze it, make sure that you defrost it overnight in the refrigerator (don’t try to warm it in the oven or microwave).
Meyer Lemon Tart FAQs
What does lemon tart taste like?
Lemon tarts have a tender shortbread crust with a smooth lemon filling. If you’ve ever had them from a bakery or homemade, you know how amazing the buttery, flaky crust and the tart/sweet of the filling are together. Since this recipe uses Meyer lemons, the tartness is even more mild.
Should lemon tart be served hot or cold?
Lemon tart is a dish best served cold. Or sort of cool, or room temperature. I wouldn’t go with warm or hot, but anything relatively cold-ish works great.
Why is my lemon tart filling not thickening?
Tart fillings may not thicken if they 1) don’t have a thickening agent and/or 2) haven’t been baked long enough. This Meyer lemon tart uses both flour and cornstarch in the filling (both great thickening agents). Make sure that it’s no longer jiggly when you pull it out of the oven; if it needs a few more minutes but you’re worried about the top darkening, you can tent it with foil (or sprinkle more powdered sugar on after it comes out).
Are Meyer lemons sweet or tart?
Meyer lemons are both sweet and tart. You know how you wouldn’t just straight up eat a regular lemon (ok, well, most people wouldn’t), because it’s too sour, but you would eat a whole orange, because its tartness is tempered by its sweetness? Meyer lemons are somewhere in between an orange and a lemon in terms of tartness. I still wouldn’t just eat one whole, but you might, and that’s totally ok.
You might like these other lemon recipes too!
Meyer Lemon and Cardamom Crepes << the flavor of cardamom is so unique and delicious in these!
Strawberry Lemon Shortcake << this would be fun to make for Easter!
Raspberry Lemon-Glazed Muffins << an oldie but a goodie.
Candied Meyer Lemon from She Wears Many Hats
Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake from The Naptime Chef
Meyer Lemon Bars with Poppyseed Crust from Foxes Love Lemons
Lemon Meringue Pie Bars from Crazy for Crust << sooo want to try this one!
Meyer Lemon Tart
5 from 4 votes
Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 25 minutes mins
Total: 45 minutes mins
Servings: 8 Servings
Sweet Meyer lemons are used to make this tart tart. A salty shortbread crust and a touch of honey make it more interesting than your average lemon bar. This would be a beautiful dessert for Easter! Plus: make-ahead for the win.
Ingredients
Shortbread crust:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 & 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest, finely grated
- 2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice, fresh
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray or butter.
Add the butter and powdered sugar to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.
Whisk together 1 and 3/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Add it to the food processor (save the bowl) and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Don’t over do it, but do make sure that the flour is incorporated.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Grease your hands well, and press the crust into the pan about 1 and 1/2 inches up the sides. If you encounter a particularly sticky section, sprinkle it with flour and pat it in. A glass or measuring cup may be useful in pressing the crust into the corners.
(At this point you can cover the crust and refrigerate for 24 hours. I mean, if you’re a planner. Not me.)
Bake at 325 for about 24 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to brown and the center is firm to the touch. When the crust is done, turn the oven down to 300 degrees F.
While the crust is baking, make the filling: In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the 3 eggs and 2 egg yolks. Whisk in sugar, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
In the same bowl that you combined the flour for the crust, add 1/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add to the egg mixture. Whisk it well. If there are lumps of flour, there will be lumps of flour in your tart, so try to get them all out.
Pour the filling into the hot crust. Carefully transfer it to the 300 degree oven (the filling is quite liquid-y). Bake for 30 minutes or more, until the center is not longer wiggly.
Let cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 3+ hours. (I also think it tastes great room-temp)
To serve, carefully slide a knife in between the crust and the pan, all the way around the edge, then release the springform pan.
Notes
The original recipe called for very thinly sliced lemons to be baked on top. I loved the tartness that it added, but I couldn’t get over the bitter aftertaste, so the second time around I left it out and decreased the sugar a bit. Click on the link below the recipe if the original recipe sounds intriguing.
Source: adapted from Bon Appetit
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 696IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 457
Keyword: Meyer Lemon, Tart
Did you make this? I’d love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!
Categorized as Dessert, Easter Recipes, Mother's Day Recipes, , Thanksgiving
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