Classic Lemon Tart

A slice of sunshine with maple-sweetened cream.

Baker’s Notes:

Vibrant and tangy; snappy shortbread crust with silky filling

Perfect make-ahead option; an Easter favorite

Hi Bakers!

I read a quote saying “how you do anything, is how you do everything.” This tart is made how I try to approach life - with precision, patience, respect for seasonality, and simple but methodical techniques.

I think that is why I love baking so much. When everything else feels chaotic, making pastry and slowly whisking lemon curd forces you to surrender your attention to the single task at hand.

Nothing about this lemon tart is inherently difficult, but you have to respect the process. The pastry case will shrink if not properly chilled; the lemon curd will scramble if cooked too quickly, the tart will crumble if sliced too soon.

All this to say - live in the now, slow down a bit in order to put in quality effort…and when life hands you lemons, make lemon tarts.

This classic lemon tart starts with a basic lemon curd. The filling is cooked on the stove then finished in the oven with the buttery, golden crust. Made with fresh lemon juice and zest, it’s tangy and vibrant with a silky smooth texture.

This is my favorite shortcrust recipe. It uses cold butter then gets rolled and pressed straight into the pan. You will need to refrigerate the shell before baking, but this process feels more streamlined to me than using room temperature butter and chilling before rolling.

And let’s not skip over the whipped cream! It’s sweetened with maple syrup - the brown sugar-like flavors perfectly balanced with the tart lemon filling.