A lemon tart () is a French dessert dish, a variety of

tart A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with ...

. It has a

pastry Pastry refers to a variety of Dough, doughs (often enriched with fat or eggs), as well as the sweet and savoury Baking, baked goods made from them. The dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often descr ...

shell with a lemon flavored filling. In the United Kingdom, lemon tart consists of a pastry case (often made in a fluted tart tin) containing a baked lemon custard (usually composed of eggs, sugar, lemon juice and cream). Usually recipes include blind-baking before adding the custard. Sometimes, the tart is dusted with icing sugar prior to serving. Alternatively, the lemon filling can be cooked in a saucepan and then added to the baked pastry case.

History

The first lemon tart recipes began to emerge in the 18th century, when lemon-based tarts appeared in French cookbooks. It was in 18th- and 19th-century France that the ''Tarte au Citron'' evolved into its modern form. French pastry chefs perfected the pairing of pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry) with a smooth lemon curd filling, resulting in the elegant and minimalist dessert recognized today. Contrary to popular belief, the classic French ''tarte au citron'' does not traditionally include a meringue topping. While both meringue-topped and plain versions can be found in French pâtisseries today—with the former often favored for its visual appeal—the original ''tarte au citron'' is served without meringue.

Similar desserts

A dessert very similar to the lemon tart is the Shaker lemon pie, usually served for dessert, made with a crust usually made of shortcrust pastry and lemon custard filling. The lemon pie is prepared with a bottom pie crust. Distinct from the Shaker lemon pie is the lemon meringue pie, the latter which has no upper crust but meringue on top instead.

References

External links

* Lemon dishes Monegasque cuisine French tarts French desserts {{dessert-stub

History

Similar desserts

See also

References

External links