I love citrus, especially in the summer. It’s punchy, refreshing and the perfect cap to a dinner party or summer picnic. This citrus curd tart makes guests oooh and ahhh, and lately, it’s become a party trick favorite.
I was inspired by the tarte au citron I ate in Paris on our honeymoon. It had a crunchy buttery crust and a deeply rich citrus curd filling, with a simple lime zest garnish. It was zippy, rich and I’ve since vowed to master the art of the tart.
Because of my Paris experience, I wanted to go very french with the crust–so I experimented with David Lebovitz’ traditional tart dough recipe. Just a warning–it is totally weird. But it’s awesome because it stands up to looser fillings and has never once gotten soggy on me.
For the crust, you add all of the ingredients into a glass, oven proof bowl and let them come together for 15 minutes in the oven. That means, water, butter, veg oil, salt and sugar boiling together–which is bizarre.
But I promise you, once you try it, you’ll be convinced it’s the best tart dough ever. And its also surprisingly simple to make. I’ve probably made 20 tarts since January!
However, the curd is more of my own concoction. I love all citrus–lemons, limes, blood oranges, tangerines–you name it, I dig it. For the 1 1/2 cups of juice, I made sure that at least a cup was from lemons/limes because I love the way a lemon tart filling makes my mouth pucker.
Overall, I’m happy with this recipe. Yes, it’s a funky pink/orange color but I’m not upset about it. It reminds me of a summer sunset…
Note that in this particular video I substituted coconut oil for the original canola oil, which made the crust firmer (and crumblier). Whichever one you decide to go with, they’re both delicious. And finally, bon apetit!
Citrus Curd Tart
for the tart dough:
6 tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces
1 tbsp canola oil (or coconut oil if you want a more firm, crumbly crust)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 rounded cup of all-purpose flour
Pre-heat oven to 410 degrees.
add all of the ingredients, except flour, into a glass oven proof bowl. Place in oven for 15 minutes until butter is brown and all ingredients are hot and bubbly.
remove from oven and be very careful (I’ve grabbed the hot bowl bare-handed and burnt myself. I like to keep a towel on the side of the bowl to remind myself it’s hot). Add the flour and stir immediately (it will sputter) until the dough comes together and there is no visible dry flour.
place the dough ball into an 11″ tart shell. spread with a spatula and allow to cool until it’s comfortable to spread with the heel of your hand. Spread evenly all the way up the sides of the tart pan. Prick with a fork all over (around 10-12 times) to prevent bubbling.
Finally, bake for 15 minutes until beautifully golden brown around the edges. Let cool before filling.
for the citrus curd filling:
1 1/2 cup citrus juice (1/2 cup tart grapefruit, blood orange, tangerine, 1 cup lime/lemon)
Grated zest of 1 organic lemon and 1 organic lime
3/4 cup sugar
12 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs
4 egg yolks
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium sized sauce pan add citrus juice, zest, sugar, butter, and eggs. Have a fine mesh strainer nearby.
Over medium heat, stir ingredients together until butter is melted and whisk continuously until mixture begins to thicken. mixture should hold its shape when dropped on top of the curd, that’s how you know it’s ready. It should take a few minutes.
Pour the curd through the strainer directly over the cooled tart shell. Smooth the curd and place in the oven to set for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with lemon or lime zest. Let cool before slicing and serving.
