Tart-a-riffic!
This lemon tart was beautiful, and easily made up for my strawberry tart disappointment!
After my previous heartbreak, I decided to sit down and research before making my next tart to ensure that it would be a delicious success - after the strawberry tart fiasco, I couldn’t bear anything but perfection from my next attempt in order to not give up on tarts forever. So, I sat down with my favourite cookbooks and browsed the tart recipes, making notes of any tips offered as well as comparing ingredients and seeing what different chefs recommended. The recipe that I eventually formulated was not an easy one - it is extremely time consuming and requires a full day of prepreparation in order to be made, but oh my GOD the results are worthwhile! The custard filling is thick and silky smooth, lemony with some tartness but doesn’t make your mouth pucker, and the pastry is thick and firm enough to hold each slice, but isn’t doughy but soft, slightly biscuitty and crumbly.
After my sister had her first bite, her eyes literally rolled back into the back of her head and said that this is the best lemon tart she has ever tasted. HAH! Much better than the original Stephanie Alexander recipe I tried, this one is definetely going to be making many more appearances in my kitchen!
Look at that beautifully smooth and yellow custard - wouldn’t you love a bite? 
Now, for the recipe. I do warn you that it is intensely time-consuming, but the results are definetely worthwhile. If you have your own favourite recipe for a sweet shortcrust pastry though, use that and then try this filling - it is heavenly!
Ellie’s Lemon Tart Ingredients
Pastry
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g pure icing sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp milk
250g plain (all-purpose) flour
Filling
150ml lemon juice, strained
250g caster sugar
300ml double cream
6 medium-sized eggs
1. Beat together all the ingredients for the filling, then strain through a fine sieve or muslin - the reason for this is that you want to get rid of any bubbles or impurities. I had some get through in mine, and they caused those white bits in the top picture. It doesn’t affect the taste as they’re almost a big meringue-y, but it does affect the aesthetics.
2. Pour carefully into a jug and leave overnight in the fridge for the flavours to combine and the mixture to thicken.
3. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then beat in vanilla, egg and milk. Once this is all combined, slowly add the flour till the mixture just comes together. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.
4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Remove lemon filling from fridge to become room temperature. On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry to 6mm thickness and place in the tart tin. Prick all over with a fork then place back in fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Line tart case with foil, making sure that it is completely covered then fill with pastry weights (I use uncooked rice) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or till base is firm and dry. Remove from oven and cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 120 degrees C. Place tart case on a baking tray and carefully fill with lemon cream mixture. Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or till it has *just* set but is still just barely wobbly in the centre.
7. Remove from oven to cool completely, then chill overnight in the fridge. Once completely set, it’s ready to be sliced and served with a little dusting of icing sugar, or if you’re feeling much more indulgent, with a nice big dollop of cream or good quality vanilla ice cream
It’s not an easy thing to make, but believe me when I say that this tart will cause your mouth to explode with joy!
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Comments
Greg In your last step, you say to bake for 1 1/2, but don’t say if that’s minutes or hours. I can’t believe it would be hours, but minutes seems wrong to.
Your recipe sounds great. Can you fix this one point?
Ellie Neil - hehe, will that be ice cream or cream you’d like on the side?
Greg - Oo! Thanks for picking that up 
It’s meant to be hours…I know it seems like a long time, but you do have to bear in mind that it’s being baked at only 120 degrees C as opposed to the usual 170-180 degrees. I baked the strawberry tart at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes and the texture of the custard filling was nowhere near as silky smooth as this (and the filling for both is very similar, just more juice, less sugar in the strawberry one!).
Brilynn I would love a piece of this!
I’m attempting to make chocolate molten cakes tonight, but already they seem off, the batter its wierd… I should have made your tart
Ellie Susan - Thanks hon 
It was a lot of work, but definetely worthwhile after that first bite
Brilynn - Ooh, you’re definetely more daring than I, I’m much too scared to try molten cakes 
Fingers crossed, hope they turned out well. And if not, I’ll have a slice of tart ready and waiting for you
Peabody - I admire your resolve, I’ve never been the kinda gal who can diet as I try and enjoy every meal I have…good luck with it
Lisa WOO!!! This looks divine! I love the color of the filling.. I’ve already added this to the Ellie section of my “must makes” and will try this as soon as dear Hubbs gets sick of my whining and goes out and buys me a tart pan.
Ellie Gauri - hehehe, Kablamo-style?
Lis - The filling is definetely to die for! I’ve had lemon tart from many different cafes and bakeries, but they’re right when they say it’s best when you make it yourself. I never realized that a tart filling could be so soft and delightful! Tell hubbs to hurry - there are too many tart recipes out there for you to try and not enough time to try them all
ilingc Hi Ellie,
Yours sounds a lot like the one I made that failed when the oven turned off.
From the look of the slice, it definitely fits into my perfect slice of lemon tart category. Will definitely give yours a go the next time I make a lemon tart.
As they say “good food always takes forever to make, but so worth the wait.”
Congrats on perfecting a tart-a-riffic lemon tart
Ellie Iling - The tart recipes I looked at before coming up with this were all quite similar, just variations on the amounts of ingredients The pastry is adapted mostly from a Shannon Bennett recipe, and the filling is based on one by Nigella Lawson, with my own little amendments I definetely recommend this tart as the taste is soo worth the effort! And thanks for the congrats
Sue hie ellie…i’m so tempted to bake this delightful lemon tart because i still hv 6 lemons sitting in my fridge …now i know what i can do with them. May i know if there is any subsitude for double cream as there none found in my country ,i think. Can i use whipping cream or single cream?
rgds
Ellie Sue - Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you’re wanting to try another of my recipes You can certainly substitute whipping cream in the filling instead of the double cream!
Sue hi ellie, i’m so glad i found your blog and i’m enjoying so much here …it feels like talking to one of my girlfriends here becoz u r so nice n helpful . Now my list to bake is getting longer but yr recipes are top of my list to bake soon. I’m also eyeing to bake yr highly recomended pizza base but for now i’ ll hv to get ready the ingredients for the yummy lemon tart n macaroons. Will update u when i’m done baking them.
rgds
Natasha i just discovered your site! one look at that lemon tart and i’m off to buy ingredients… mmm. just one question though - what size pan did u use? cheers.
“….Wouldn’t you love a piece?” Yes, please!