Description
Delicate lemon curd tartlets featuring crisp shortcrust pastry cases filled with a smooth, tangy lemon curd. Perfect as a refreshing dessert or a light treat, these tartlets combine a buttery base with zesty citrus filling to create a delightful balance of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 packs Ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (each pack 320g, remove from fridge 30 minutes before using)
- Butter (for greasing)
- 2 tbsp Icing sugar (for dusting)
Lemon Curd
- 4 medium Lemons (juice and zest)
- 200 g Caster sugar
- 4 medium Eggs (room temperature)
- 50 g Unsalted butter (room temperature)
Instructions
- Prepare pastry cases: Generously grease a mini cupcake tray with butter. Unroll both pastry packs and use a 2-inch round cutter (or a flower-shaped cutter for flower tartlets) to cut out 10-12 circles. Press the pastry circles into the tray and prick the bottom of each case with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Bake pastry cases: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan or 200°C conventional. Bake the pastry cases for 15 minutes until light golden brown and cooked through. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the tray, then carefully release and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make lemon curd base: In a medium saucepan, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, caster sugar, and butter. Heat on medium-low, stirring until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs to curd: Whisk three egg yolks and one whole egg together in a jug. Pour into the saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Cook lemon curd: Increase heat and whisk continuously until thickened and coating the back of a spoon, approximately 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a bowl to remove zest.
- Cool lemon curd: Let the lemon curd cool and thicken further for 10 minutes.
- Fill tartlets: Dust the cooled pastry cases with icing sugar, fill each with lemon curd to the top, and chill in the fridge until set or ready to serve.
Notes
- For flower-shaped tartlets, fill every other pastry case and fold petals outwards for decorative effect.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter for smoother lemon curd consistency.
- Chilling the pastry before baking helps prevent shrinking and keeps their shape.
- The lemon curd thickens as it cools, so do not overcook on the stove.
- Store filled tartlets in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British