Description
A light, tangy citrus tart with freshly zested lemons and a creamy custard filling. Perfect for beginners, this crowd-pleasing dessert balances tart and sweet flavors with a buttery crust.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, softened
Sugar (3/4 cup granulated)
All-purpose flour (2 cups)
Large eggs (2 at room temperature)
Whole milk (1/4 cup)
Lemon zest (3 lemons)
Lemon juice (3/4 cup from 2 lemons)
Coconut flour (optional substitute at 1:3 ratio)
Coconut milk (optional dairy-free alternative)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
Cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3 minutes on medium speed)
Gradually add flour to butter-sugar mixture, mixing on low until crumbly
Press crust mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with removable base using a flat-bottomed glass
Whisk room-temperature eggs until frothy (discard any yolks)
Add remaining sugar and whisk until fully dissolved
Grate zest of 3 lemons directly into mixing bowl
Squeeze juice from 2 lemons to reach 3/4 cup
Stir in flour until smooth then gradually add milk
Pour filling over prepared crust
Bake for 15 minutes
Cool completely
Run knife around edges
Top with whipped cream and additional lemon zest
Notes
Use lemons at room temperature for better flavor extraction
For dairy-free version: substitute coconut flour (1 cup) for 3 regular flour and coconut milk for regular milk
Double zest yield by using both lemon rind and pith (in recipe test runs)
Whipped cream toppings can be substituted with coconut whip if strictly dairy-free
Storage: cover and refrigerate up to 2 days
Substitute brown sugar if caramel notes are desired
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of tart)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg