Lemon Tart Buttery Crust (Printable Version)

Bright lemon filling atop crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry perfect for spring dinner parties.

# What You'll 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

# How To Make It:

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.
03 - Add egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water to the processor. Pulse just until dough comes together, adding additional water as needed.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
05 - 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.
06 - Bake crust for 15 minutes. Remove weights and paper, then bake another 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
07 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, melted butter, and salt until smooth.
08 - Pour filling into warm crust. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is just set but still slightly wobbly.
09 - Cool tart completely on a wire rack. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
10 - Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with lemon slices, berries, or mint if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust stays crisp and buttery even hours after baking, a trick that comes from blind baking with pie weights.
  • That wobbly center filling sets perfectly overnight in the fridge, so you can make it a day ahead and take all the credit.
  • The lemon flavor is bright but not aggressive—it tastes elegant rather than puckering.
  • It looks restaurant-quality on the plate, which somehow always impresses people more than you'd expect.
02 -
  • The filling will look impossibly liquid when you pour it in, and that's exactly right—it transforms during baking into something silky and set.
  • Don't overbake it chasing a completely firm center; that wobble is your promise of a custardy texture that melts on your tongue.
  • Blind baking the crust is the only thing standing between you and a soggy bottom, and soggy bottoms are the enemy.
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a dramatic difference—the acidity, brightness, and complexity of bottled juice simply cannot compete.
03 -
  • If you love extra tartness, use the full 2/3 cup of lemon juice and resist the urge to add sugar—trust the balance.
  • Swap half the lemon juice for blood orange or lime if you want variation, but do it thoughtfully because it changes the entire character.
  • Invest in a good microplane zester for the lemon zest; it makes a visible difference in the final texture and appearance.
  • Keep your tart pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before blind baking so the crust holds its shape better during initial cooking.
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