Tarte aux Citron a Lemon Recipe from the French Riviera
© OTMNCA / J. Kelagopian Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Dessert · Pies & Tarts · Provencal Recipes · TasteIt is possible that lemon tarts were created to tempt the resolve of non-dessert eaters. The irresistible recipe below combines tart citrus and sweet lemony cream. While bakers worldwide craft fabulous lemon tarts, we wanted to showcase this tarte aux citron from Nice. This dessert is la Tarta al Limoun in Niçoise and has three parts, the sweet crust, the lemon cream and the candied lemons.
With the permission of the Office de Tourisme Métropolitain Nice Côte d’Azur, we have translated the following recipe for Tarte aux Citron. The recipe comes from Carnets de cuisine du Comté de Nice, a cookbook (in French) that you can purchase the book online at Amazon or at the Office de Tourisme Métropolitain Nice Côte d’Azur.
Lemon Tart - Tarte aux Citron - La Tarta al Limoun
A delicious lemon tart that can be baked as one large tart or served in smaller tartlets to share, Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 oz almond powder (see note)
- 3 oz icing sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 eggshell water if necessary
- a pinch of salt
- 1 lemon for zest
For the Lemon Cream:
- 5 oz caster sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 oz cornflour
- 1 cup milk
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 lemon for zest
- 2 oz butter
For the Candied Lemons:
- 2 whole lemons
- 7 oz caster sugar
- 5 oz water
- 1 lemon for juice
Instructions
To Make the Pastry:
- Pour the flour, almond powder, sugar and salt into a bowl and mix. Add the butter cut it into small pieces, and mix to incorporate the butter into the flour.
- Form a fountain and pour in the beaten egg. Gather the dough with your fingers until it is homogeneous without overworking it. Add a little water (the equivalent of half an eggshell) if necessary.
- Crush the dough with the palm of your hand (milling) to incorporate all the elements. Form the dough into a smooth, soft ball. Set aside in a cool place for at least two hours.
To Make the Candied Lemons:
- Cut the lemons into 2 mm slices. Blanch the lemon slices for 2 or 3 minutes, then drain them. Mix 15o ml of water, the lemon juice with the caster sugar and bring to a boil in a pan. Add the lemon slices. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until they become translucent and melting. Set aside to cool.
Blind Bake the Pastry:
- Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2/3 mm and fill a 26 cm diameter and 2 cm high tart mould (or several small tart moulds) with butter.
- Prick the pastry with a fork. Set aside in a cool place while the oven heats to 350° F (180° C).
- Place a sheet of baking paper with peas or beans on top of the pastry. Pre-bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and peas and continue baking at 320° F (160° C ) for 15-20 minutes (depending on the oven and the size of the pies). Remove from the pie tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Make the Lemon Cream:
- Zest the lemon. Squeeze the equivalent of 3 to 4 large lemons to obtain 150 g of juice.
- Mix the eggs with the sugar, cornflour and lemon zest, then whisk in the milk.
- Add the lemon juice, heat in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Continue over moderate heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, cut into cubes.
- Set aside for a moment before garnishing the tart shell.
Assemble the Tart:
- Pour the lemon cream over the tart base, leave to set in a cool place for at least two hours, and then arrange the slices of preserved lemon.
Notes
As a variation, make the recipe without the preserved lemons and without almond powder.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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