Tart Au citron is a dessert that never fails to impress, and personally, it’s one of my all-time favourites. I love the contrast between the zesty lemon filling and the sweet, caramelized meringue. The crisp pastry base provides the perfect foundation, creating a harmonious bite that’s both rich and refreshing.
What makes this dessert even more versatile is how easily it can be adapted to seasonal fruits. While lemon is a classic, you can switch things up with: Raspberry curd for a tart and vibrant twist. Passion fruit curd brings a tropical and exotic flair. Blood orange curd, offering a sweet and slightly bitter contrast, perfect for springs. Mixed berry compote, layered beneath the meringue for an extra burst of fruity sweetness.
Ingredients
for the citron curd:
- 240g sugar
- 1 lemon zest
- 120g unsalted butter
- 150g lemon juice (citron)
- 3 eggs
for the Italian meringue:
- 100g caster sugar
- 50g egg white
- 22g water
For the shortcrust pastry:
- caster sugar 110g
- unsalted butter soft 225g
- vanilla
- eggs room temperature 55g
- cake flour sifted 340g
instructions
for the citron curd:
Infuse the Sugar with citron Zest: Place the sugar and lemon zest into the Thermomix bowl. Blend at maximum speed for a few seconds until the mixture becomes fine and fragrant. This step helps release the essential oils from the zest, enhancing the citrus aroma.
Cook the Curd: Add the butter, eggs, and freshly squeezed citron juice to the bowl. Set the Thermomix to speed 2, cooking at 90°C for 20 minutes. During this time, the mixture will gradually thicken into a smooth and velvety lemon curd.
Final Blend for Silky Texture: Once the curd has finished cooking, increase the speed to 6 and blend for 20 seconds. This final step ensures the curd achieves a silky, lump-free consistency, making it perfectly smooth and glossy.
for the Italian meringue:
Prepare the Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil without stirring. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature and cook the syrup until it reaches 118°C (soft ball stage).
Whip the Egg Whites: While the syrup is cooking, place the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whisking on medium speed until they form soft peaks.
Incorporate the Syrup: Once the syrup reaches 118°C, remove it from the heat. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the egg whites in a thin, steady stream.
Whip to Stiff Peaks: Increase the mixer speed to high and continue whisking until the meringue becomes glossy, thick, and holds stiff peaks. The bowl should feel cool to the touch, which indicates the meringue has properly stabilised.
For the shortcrust pastry:
Cream the sugar and butter together with the paddle attachment, starting at low speed and increasing to medium speed, scraping down the bowl periodically until smooth and light in colour, for about 5 minutes.
Combine the vanilla and eggs and add them gradually, scraping down the bowl and blending until smooth after each addition.
Turn off the mixer and add the flour all at once. Mix on low speed until just blended. Do not over-mix.
turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Scale the dough as desired. wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling (the dough can be held under refrigeration or frozen)
roll out the dough in 0.4cm thick. Using a 10cm cutter, cut some rounds.
fit the rounds into 7cm tartlet rings, pressing the dough into place against the sides of the rings. smooth and trim the top edges.
Place the shells in the freezer until very firm. line the shells with parchment and fill them with pie weights.
Blind bake at 190°c until the shells have just begun to brown, about 20 minutes.
remove the parchment and weights. lightly brush the pastry with egg wash. bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.
brush the shells with a bit of melted white chocolate to prevent moisture in the filling from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. place the tartlet in the refrigerator.
Fill with citron Curd: Once the chocolate coating is firm, pour the lemon curd into the tartlet shells while it is still slightly warm but no longer runny. This helps it spread evenly and settle smoothly. Let the tartlets rest until the curd is fully set.
Decorate with Meringue: Pipe or spoon the Italian meringue over the tartlets, creating decorative swirls or peaks.
Torch for a Golden Finish: Using a blue torch, lightly brûlée the meringue until it develops a golden, caramelised colour with slightly crisp edges.