The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Tarte au Citron

I can’t believe that it’s been over 40 years since I rewrote my grandmother’s recipe for her lemon tart onto this old index card. This was a recipe that my grandmother, who moved from New York to Florida when I was a kid, made all summer long. She had a mango tree in her front yard and would trade fresh mangos for fresh lemons and key limes with her neighbors who had citrus trees.

This recipe is so easy to make, and this 9″ round tart pan with a removable bottom is similar to the one I use. The hardest part is watching the crust to make sure it doesn’t burn. If you can’t eat nuts (or dont’ want to use them), you can eliminate the almonds for garnish and substitute 2 Tablespoons of flour for the 2 Tablespoons of ground almonds. I also know that this recipe can be adapted to be gluten free and vegan. Although I’ve never made those adaptations myself, I have friends who’ve made the changes and have been happy with the results. I hope you enjoy this summer dessert as much as we do!

Print

Tarte au Citron

This tart recipe came from my grandmother who lived in Florida. She always made it with fresh lemons and would use the juice (which doesn't go into the recipe) to make fresh lemonade.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 43 minutes

Resting Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 58 minutes

Servings 8 slices

Calories 252 kcal

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 Tablespoons almonds (unroasted and unsalted) ground
• 1 cup flour (minus 2 Tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup butter (unsalted) cold and cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, zested (use all the lemon zest you can get)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt

Garnish

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds lightly toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven.

2. In a mixer or food processor, combine all of the crust ingredients until they form a ball of dough.

3. Pat the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Bake the crust for 18 minutes or until it turns a light golden color.

4. While the crust is baking, use a mixer to blend together all the filling ingredients until the mixture is thick and light-colored.

5. Once the crust is done, remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Pour the filling over the hot crust and top with the sliced almonds.

6. Bake an additional 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool for 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the pan and cool for another 15 minutes.

7. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

28 grams carbohydrates per serving

2.8 grams protein per serving

15 grams fat per serving