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Creamy Lemon Tart | Magnolia Days

Creamy Lemon Tart

Creamy Lemon Tart is a special dessert to make. It has a homemade crust filled with lemon curd and topped with whipped cream and raspberries.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6 to 8 servings
Author Renee

Ingredients

For the tart crust:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup lard or shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons milk

For the filling:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • Fresh raspberries

Instructions

For the tart crust:

  1. Dice butter and place in the freezer along with the lard for 30 minutes.
  2. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Pulse a 1 or 2 times to combine.
  3. Cut frozen lard into small pieces. Add lard and butter to the food processor bowl. Pulse a 5 or 6 times.
  4. Add 4 tablespoons of the milk. Pulse 4 or 5 times. Remove the cover and check the dough. When it is done it should appear crumbly and will hold together when you press a handful together. Add more milk if needed and pulse.
  5. Shape dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  6. Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a 4 1/2- X 14-inch tart pan.
  7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 6 1/2- X 16-inch rectangle. Move the dough around as you are rolling it out to make sure it is not sticking to the work surface.
  8. Transfer dough to tart pan. Lightly press the dough in place. Roll the pin over the edges to cut off excess dough.
  9. Prick the bottom of the dough at 1/4-inch intervals with a fork.
  10. Cut a sheet of aluminum foil 4 inches longer than the tart pan. Lightly butter the shiny side. Turn the foil over (shiny side down) and make a pouch of it. Fill the pouch with a dried beans or pie weights. Line the dough with the foil and press it against the edges. Make sure the beans or pie weights cover the entire bottom and are against the sides.
  11. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans/weights and prick the bottom again with a fork. Bake a few minutes more until the pastry begins to color and separate from the side of the pan. Cool 10 minutes in the pan then remove it to cool on a rack. Once cooled completely, place the crust back in the tart pan.

For the filling:

  1. Combine yolks, sugar, and juice in a saucepan. Add butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (about 15 minutes).
  2. Transfer filling to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Cool to room temperature then chill completely, at least 4 hours or overnight.
  3. Spread filling evenly in tart crust.

For the topping:

  1. Beat heavy cream in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until stiff peaks form.
  2. Put dollops of whipped cream on the tart. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Chill.

Recipe Notes

Keep tart chilled until serving. The filling will soften and become runny at room temperature.
Total time is hands-on and does not include chilling time for both the dough and tart filling.