French lemon tart (Tarte au citron) — the classic dessert with lemon cream

Ingredients — 24 cm tart, 8 servings. For the base: 200 g flour; 100 g cold butter, cut into cubes; 80 g powdered sugar; 1 egg; 1 pinch of salt. For the lemon cream: 3 eggs; 150 g sugar; 120 ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons) + grated zest of 1 lemon; 100 g butter, in small cubes.

Preparation: 1. For the base: mix the flour, powdered sugar and salt; add the cold butter and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. Add the egg and quickly knead into a soft dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the dough and line the tart pan (24 cm), prick the base with a fork. Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden. Let cool. 3. For the cream: whisk the eggs with the sugar, add the lemon juice and zest. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water (bain-marie) and stir constantly for 8–10 minutes until the cream thickens. 4. Remove from heat and add the cubed butter, stirring until fully melted and the cream is smooth. 5. Pour the hot cream over the baked base, smooth the surface and chill the tart for at least 3 hours (or overnight) before serving. Decorate as desired with grated lemon zest or powdered sugar.

Prep time: 30 minutes + 25 minutes baking + cooling. Servings: 8.

Photo: Christian Michelides / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)