Got a sweet tooth? Well, not really. I can survive without desserts but I do from time to time love to have something sweet after meal. Lemon tartlet is probably one of those classic desserts that I would crave for when I need sugar. 

Lemon tartlet has a good combination of sweetness of the crust and the zing of the lemon curd (crème au citron) that always sets me into moment of calm and comfort. I think there’s a special relationship between me and the citrus fruits. I just love the acidity of lemon, lime, orange, grape fruits… etc that can significantly enhance the flavour of food. 

There’s no hassle at all in making lemon tartlets. For a non-pâtissier like me, I was quite surprised that my first attempt in making lemon tartlets is quite a success. This has made me gaining more confidence in baking. I have now got a few pâtisseries books that are waiting for me to flip through and try out the recipes!

Having said that, it could be quite tricky to achieve a good balance of sweetness and acidity. Too much of lemon juice will give a ‘fail’ to the end result of lemon tartlets. I have tried a recipe from A Little Taste of France.

Give this lemon tartlets recipe a try, I am sure you’ll love it.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Ready made sweet pastry (pâte sucrée), 1

Eggs, 4

Egg yolks, 2

Caster Sugar, 250g (1 cup)

Double Cream, 185ml (3/4 cup)

Lemon Juice, 250ml (1 cup)

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Roll out the pastry and line in individual round loose-based fluted tartlet tin. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

2. To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Add the cream, whisking all the time, then the lemon juice and zest.

3. Line the pastry shell with a crumpled piece of greaseproof paper and baking beads. Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beads and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until the pastry is just cooked but still very pale. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150 °C.

4. Put the tin on a baking tray and carefully pour the filling into the pastry case. Return to the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling has set. Leave to cool completely before serving.