Gourmet Lemon Tart: French Style
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In this recipe, Chef Ludivine is sharing this tasty lemon tart that one could find in the most beautiful pastry shops in Paris.
Since its creation, lemon tart has evolved and become more sophisticated. The time when one could only find a lemon tart with a classic pie crust and lemon custard has passed.
Over time, French pastry chefs have developed new techniques and recipes.
Techniques became more precise and meticulous. The recipes created by the new generation of chefs are focused on how to bring the natural flavors out.
This research resulted in pastries with less white sugar and more natural sweeteners like honey, agave, or xylitol.
This tasty French-style lemon tart is made with a delicious "sablé Breton" crust, soft lemon cream, delicate lemon gel, fluffy lime genoise, and a glossy golden mirror glaze.
Bon appétit!
Difficulty: 
Prep time: 1 hr 45 mins / Cook time: 55 mins / Servings: 6 people
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Lemon Gel
3⅓ oz (95g) - Lemon juice
2⅓ oz (65g) - Water
½ oz (14g) - Xylitol
1 tsp (2.5g) - Agar agar
Lemon Cream
¾ oz (20g) - Water
1½ tsp (4g) - Gelatin powder
4 - Eggs
3½ oz (100g) - Xylitol
2½ oz (70g) - Milk
5⅓ oz (150g) - Lemon juice
9 oz (260g) - Butter
Golden Mirror Glaze
2 oz (60g) - Water (to rehydrate the gelatin)
1 tbsp (12g) - Gelatin powder
⅔ cup (145g) - Xylitol
3 oz (90g) - Heavy cream
3½ oz (100g) - Water
1 tsp (2g) - Gold powder
Sablé Breton
3 - Egg yolks
3 oz (90g) - Butter
¼ cup (60g) - Xylitol
1 tsp (3g) - Sea salt
¾ tsp (2.5g) - Baking powder
1⅓ cup (180g) - Flour
Egg wash (optional)
1 - Egg yolks
½ tbsp (7g) - Heavy cream
Lime Genoise
1 - Egg
2 oz (60g) - Xylitol
2 oz (60g) - Flour
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We advise that you prepare all the above ingredients before starting.
You will typically need: a scale, measuring cups, mixing bowls.
Lemon Gel
1 - Cut the lemons in half with a sharp knife, and extract the juice using a lemon squeezer (or a manual juicer) until you reach the indicated amount.
Tip: We recommend you use a paring knife for this task. Sabatier knives are excellent french blades we recommend for professional and home cooks. We also love this reversible cutting board with integrated handgrips from John Boos.
2 - Pour the juice into a saucepan (or like us a saucier pan), along with the water.
3 - Combine the xylitol and the agar agar into a mixing bowl and mix them together using a small silicone spatula.
Tip: We store our spices and small quantities in these mini glass bowls from Duralex while cooking. We love Duralex for its quality products and low prices!
4 - Bring the water and lemon juice to a boil. Then, add the sugar and the agar agar mix into the saucepan. Mix vigorously with the spatula and boil again while mixing.
5 - Transfer the lemon gel into a bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
6 - Once the gel has been set, it should be very hard. Mix it with a hand blender to turn it into a creamy lemon gel.
Tip: Our must-have hand blender is the Braun Multiquick Technology.
7 - Place the lemon gel in a piping bag and fill 6 domes in this dome silicone mold (size: 15ml / 1 tablespoon / 0.5 oz).
8 - Scrape the surplus lemon gel off using an icing spatula. Make sure the domes are completely filled. Then, freeze them for 1 hour (or until the lemon gel is fully frozen).
9 - Store the leftover lemon gel in a small food container and place it in the refrigerator.
Lemon Cream
1 - Combine the water and the gelatin powder into a small mixing bowl. Then, mix these together until the gelatin is fully rehydrated, and set them aside.
2 - Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the xylitol. Mix using a whisk until well combined and transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan (or like us a saucier pan).
Tip: All-Clad is the gold standard for professional quality stainless steel cookware.
3 - Add the milk to the saucepan, along with the lemon juice and the lemon zest, zested using a microplane zester beforehand. Then, give it a quick mix using a whisk.
4 - Cook the lemon cream on medium heat until it has boiled for 1 minute, and while continuously mixing with the silicone whisk.
5 - Remove the cream from the heat and add the gelatin. Whisk until the gelatin has fully melted and is well incorporated into the cream. Then, transfer the cream into a large mixing bowl.
6 - Add the (cold) butter and blend using a hand blender until nice and smooth.
7 - Cover the lemon cream with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Tip: Place the plastic wrap directly in contact with the cream to prevent condensation and a crust from forming.
8 - While the lemon cream is cooling, unmold the frozen lemon gel domes and place them back in the freezer.
9 - When the lemon cream has set and is cold, transfer it to a piping bag using a spatula.
Tip: Pinch the top of the piping bag between your thumb and your index finger. Then, twist the piping bag to tighten it. It will allow you to have more control while piping.
10 - Fill half of the 6 domes of this silicone mold. Then, slightly push the frozen lemon gel into the lemon cream in an upside-down position. Repeat for all 6 domes.
11 - Cover the surface with more lemon cream and scrape the surplus lemon off the domes, using an icing spatula. Make sure the domes are filled completely. Finally, freeze the domes overnight.
12 - Keep the leftover lemon cream into a food container and place it in the refrigerator.
Golden Mirror Glaze
1 - Combine the water and the gelatin powder in a ramekin. Then, mix using a fork until the gelatin is well incorporated into the water, and set it aside for later.
2 - Combine the remaining water, xylitol, and heavy cream into a saucepan. Briefly mix with a spatula and bring the preparation to a boil.
3 - Transfer the glaze to a large mixing bowl. Add the gelatin, and mix with a spatula until the gelatin is fully melted.
4 - Add the edible gold powder into the glaze and blend using a hand blender.
5 - Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.
The next day...
Sablé Breton
1 - Prepare your dry ingredients by combining the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix them together with a whisk and set them aside.
2 - Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and keep the egg whites in the fridge for another recipe.
Tip: We advise you to store the egg whites in a small food container with a lid on to allow them to last longer.
3 - Pour the butter and the xylitol into a stand mixer bowl. Then, mix them using the paddle attachment and on medium speed until the butter becomes nice and creamy.
Tip: The KitchenAid Artisan Design Series and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series are superstars among stand mixers and will look amazing in your kitchen!
4 - While mixing, add the egg yolks into the butter. Keep mixing until fully incorporated.
5 - Stop the mixer and add all the flour mix to the butter. Then, turn the mixer back on and mix the flour on low speed.
Tip: Mix until just combined, the dough should be a little crumbly but hold together when pressing it.
6 - Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Fold one side of it over the dough, then flatten it with your hands. Repeat on the opposite side. Finish folding the plastic wrap in a square shape like so.
7 - Roll out the dough with a rolling pin (marble/wood) in order to push it outward. Next, place the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Tip: This process will allow the dough to set faster and will help you roll it out later.
8 - Place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin until ¼ inch (5 mm) thick.
Tip: Adding flour to some types of dough results in a crumbly texture. Rolling between 2 sheets of parchment paper prevents this from happening.
9 - For the bottom of the tart, place a tart ring over the dough and press down to cut it. Then, remove the tart ring.
10 - Cut a few bands out of the dough for the sides of the tarts.
Tip: We recommend you use a chef's knife for this task.
11 - Cover the dough with parchment paper and place it back in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Tip: This allows the dough to firm up. That way, it will be easier for you to mold your tarts.
12 - Remove the top parchment paper.
13 - Gently start to mold your tarts. First, place the base of the tarts inside the tart rings. Then, place the bands into the sides of the tart rings and press gently.
14 - Then, cut the excess dough using a sharp knife, dig small holes in the bottoms of the tarts with a fork, and place them back in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
15 - Preheat your oven at 340°F (170°C) and bake the tarts for about 20 minutes.
16 - For the egg wash, combine an egg yolk with the heavy cream in a small bowl and mix the two together using a small spoon.
17 - When the tarts are cooked, remove the tart rings and let them cool down enough for you to be able to touch them.
18 - Grate the irregularities with a microplane zester to make the tarts as perfectly smooth as possible. Then, brush the inside and outside of the tarts with the egg wash using a pastry brush (boar/silicone) and put them back in the oven for about 8 minutes.
19 - Set the tarts aside when ready to allow them to cool down.
Lime Genoise
1 - Preheat your oven at 350°F (175°C).
2 - Sieve the flour using a flour sifter.
3 - Crack the egg in a mixing bowl and whisk it for 2 to 4 minutes using a hand mixer.
Tip: We recommend this 7-speed hand mixer from KitchenAid for its quality and elegant design.
4 - Once the egg starts to become fluffy, slowly pour the xylitol while whisking. Then, whip at medium speed for an additional 5 minutes (or until light and fluffy).
5 - Add the flour to the whipped egg and gently fold it in like so. Then, carefully mix in the lime zest.
6 - Equip a piping bag with a small round tip and transfer the genoise into it. Then, place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and pipe small disks matching the size of your tart rings.
7 - Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes. When ready, transfer the parchment paper to a cooling rack and when cold, gently remove the disks from the parchment paper.
8 - The genoise disks will spread a little bit while cooking. So, to make them fit perfectly into the tarts, use a cookie cutter to remove the excess genoise and set them aside.
Assembling The Lemon Tarts
1 - Melt the mirror glaze into the microwave until it reaches 82°F (28°C) and transfer it into a glass measuring cup.
Tip: Pyrex is the gold standard of measuring cups, we love their quality and durability!
2 - Add a small layer of lemon gel onto the bottom of each tart. Then, place a disk of genoise and fill the remaining space with lemon cream, using an icing spatula.
Tip: Make sure to scrape the excess lemon cream off to get a smooth surface.
3 - Clean the edges of the tarts with your thumb and set them aside.
4 - Unmold the frozen lemon cream domes and place them on a cooling rack. Cover your countertop with plastic wrap. Take 4 cake rings and place one in each corner to allow you to place the cooling rack on top.
5 - Slowly pour the mirror glaze over the frozen lemon cream domes, making sure they are entirely covered with the glaze.
6 - Lift the glazed domes with an icing spatula and carefully place them on the tarts.
7 - Zest a fresh lime on top of the tarts for extra flavors and contrast. Then, place them back in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before savoring.
8 - Enjoy!
Watch our video for more details!
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Disclaimer: baking/cooking times vary according to each appliance. Make sure to always control halfway through for success.
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🎬 Everything we used for this recipe:
🍶 Kitchenware: Coming soon!
🍳 Ingredients: Coming soon!
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