Description
Delightful lemon curd tartlets showcase a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors from France. Buttery pastry shells cradle silky lemon curd, creating an elegant dessert you’ll savor with pure pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (720 ml) graham crackers, finely crushed
- 1/3 cup (76 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (76 g) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1 1/2 tbsps lemon zest, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice, fresh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners and cooking spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and egg whites until uniformly combined.
- Distribute 3 heaping tablespoons of crumb mixture into each muffin cup. Press firmly to create a comprehensive crust covering bottom and sides of each cup.
- Bake crusts for 12 minutes until lightly golden and set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Extract crusts from pan, discarding liners.
- For lemon curd filling, combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, continuously stirring to prevent egg scrambling.
- Continue cooking for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens significantly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl to ensure silky smooth consistency.
- Evenly distribute lemon curd among prepared crusts, allocating about 2 tablespoons per tartlet. Refrigerate covered for 1 hour until thoroughly chilled.
- Serve the tartlets cold, showcasing the delightful contrast between crisp graham cracker crust and tangy lemon filling.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, swap graham cracker crumbs with almond flour or gluten-free cookie crumbs to maintain the crispy texture.
- Stir the lemon curd constantly and maintain medium heat to prevent egg scrambling, which can create an unpleasant lumpy texture.
- Use a microplane or fine grater when zesting lemons to extract only the bright yellow outer layer, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
- These tartlets stay fresh in an airtight container for 2-3 days, making them perfect for advance party preparation or weekend dessert planning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg