A lemon tart without cream or condensed milk is a more traditional or classic French Lemon Tart, which focuses on a sharp and clear lemon flavour. This version is simpler and highlights the freshness and tanginess of the lemon without the richness that cream or condensed milk would add. Here’s how we made it:
Ingredients:
For the Tart Shell:
• 200g all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (see notes)
• 60g granulated sugar
• 100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 large egg For the Lemon Filling:
• 150ml fresh lemon juice
• 10g cornstarch
• 100g granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 80 grams butter
Instructions:
Tart Shell:
1. Preparation: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease a tart pan with a removable bottom.
2. Sift flour into bowl. Add the butter and rub together in fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, vanilla sugar and granulated sugar. Mix with fork and fingers, until the dough comes together. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic, and leave for 1 hour, to ferment.
3. Form the Shell: Roll the dough until 3 mm thick and press into your greased tart pan evenly across the bottom and up the sides.
4. Bake: Prick the crust with a fork. Cover with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the weights and parchment, and bake another 10 minutes until golden. Let cool.Lemon Filling:
1. Mix: In a saucepan whisk together lemon juice, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add cornstarch and continue to mix until thick with no lumps.
2. Pour the filling into the cooled shell and leave to set. It should be slightly wobbly in the centre.
3. Cool and Serve: Let the tart cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.This version of the lemon tart is all about celebrating the lemon’s natural flavour, offering a refreshing, tart dessert option.
Notes:
Vanilla sugar is a flavoured sugar infused with the aroma and taste of vanilla. It is made by mixing sugar (usually granulated or caster sugar) with vanilla beans or vanilla extract. There are two common methods to create vanilla sugar:
- Using Vanilla Pods/Beans: The most traditional method involves storing sugar in an airtight container with whole vanilla beans. Over time, the sugar absorbs the vanilla flavour. Sometimes, the vanilla beans are split or scraped to increase the surface area in contact with the sugar, enhancing the infusion process. This method can create a very aromatic and naturally flavoured sugar.
- Using Vanilla Extract: A quicker method involves mixing sugar with vanilla extract and allowing it to dry. This approach can be faster but might not offer the same depth of flavour as the traditional method that uses whole beans.
Vanilla sugar is a popular ingredient in European baking and is used to add a subtle vanilla flavour to desserts, pastries, and even some beverages. It can be a simple way to enrich the flavour profile of sweet dishes without the need for liquid vanilla extract.
FAQ’s
Where Do Lemon Tarts Originate From?
Lemon tarts, in their various forms, have a long history that is somewhat difficult to pinpoint to a single origin, as the use of citrus, including lemons, in desserts and dishes has been widespread across many cultures for centuries. However, the lemon tart as we commonly recognise it today, especially the refined French version known as “Tarte au citron,” has its roots deeply embedded in European, particularly French, cuisine.
The use of lemons in cooking and baking began to become popular in Europe during the Middle Ages, introduced through trade with the Middle East where citrus fruits were more commonly grown. The lemon tart, in its more modern form, began to gain popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries as French patisseries refined and popularised the dessert, focusing on the balance of the tart lemon curd with a buttery pastry crust.
England also has a long history of lemon-flavoured desserts, including lemon curd and lemon custard pies, which are ancestors of the modern lemon tart. The actual lemon curd, a key component of the lemon tart, is a British invention from the 19th century, originally used as a spread for bread and scones, which suggests that the concept of lemon-flavoured tarts or pies has been present in England for quite some time.
Thus, while it’s hard to credit one specific country with the invention of the lemon tart, the version most loved today, with its lemon filling atop a crispy pastry crust, has been perfected in France, making it a staple of French pâtisserie.