The Meyer lemon tart is less sharp than a standard tarte au citron — the filling is softer, more floral, and less likely to make you wince. It's the kind of dessert that works at a dinner party because it's impressive without being fussy, and because everyone will ask for the recipe.
Ingredients
- —For the crust: 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ cup cold butter (cubed), 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp ice water
- —For the filling: 4 Meyer lemons (zest + ¾ cup juice), 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup heavy cream
- —Powdered sugar for dusting
The Key
"The filling should wobble like Jell-O when you take it out of the oven — it will firm up as it cools. If it's completely set in the oven, it will be rubbery."
Method
Make the crust: pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse sand. Add egg yolk and water; pulse until dough comes together. Press into a 9-inch tart pan and freeze for 30 minutes.
Blind bake the crust at 375°F for 20 minutes with pie weights, then 10 more minutes without. Let cool.
Make the filling: whisk together lemon juice, zest, eggs, yolks, and sugar. Stir in the cream. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Bake at 325°F for 25–30 minutes, until the filling is just set at the edges but still has a slight wobble in the center.
Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.