The Best Lemon Bar Tart

A luscious and zesty lemon curd in a buttery shortbread crust!

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With my love of lemon, I have to share the best lemon bar tart I’ve ever eaten. The buttery shortbread crust is soft and crumbly, and the silky curd bursts with lemon flavor. It’s completely irresistible, so beautiful, and much easier to make than you might think. The filling takes just a few ingredients and a few minutes to make, and the crust is simple and can even be made ahead of time. I could go on and on about how much I love this tart, but you have to try it for yourself!

Why this is so irresistible

Melt in your mouth

Buttery, soft shortbread

Creamy, tangy

Sweet lemon curd

The most creamy, luscious lemon curd in a soft buttery shortbread you’ve ever had!

Everything you need

For the Crust:

• Unsalted butter –soft but not melted
• Granulated sugar
• Pure vanilla extract -good quality since it’s the main flavor
• Salt
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda -will make the dough more tender 

The Filling:

• Lemon zest –remember to zest before juicing
• Lemon juice
• Eggs
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour

Garnish:

• Lemon slices
• Confectioner’s sugar

How to make the Best Lemon Bar Tart

Make the Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
2. In the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, salt, vanilla, and sugar. 
3. Beat until fluffy -about 2-3 minutes.
4. Place the flour and baking soda into a bowl and whisk together. 
5. Then, add the flour mixture to the mixer and beat on low speed until combined and a dough is formed.
6. Grease the inside of a 9 ½  or 10-inch tart pan with butter. 
7. Press the dough into the pan and chill in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
8. Place the tart pan over a baking tray and dock the pastry with a fork. 
9. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven until lightly golden -about 25-30 minutes.
10. Press the bottom layer of the crust down gently with a fork. (see video)
11. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 325 °F, 160 °C.

**Baker’s tip!** Freezing the dough before baking is a great alternative to blind baking with parchment paper and dried rice or beans.

Make the Filling:

1. Zest the lemons and add the zest to a large mixing bowl. 
2. Then, juice the lemons and add the juice to the bowl. 
3. Add the eggs and sugar and whisk together until combined. 
4. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
5. Transfer the lemon filling into a pitcher with a spout and pour the filling into the baked crust.
6. Bake on the center rack for 25-30 minutes. (The tart is ready when there are no longer ripples or waves in the filling, and it is set. It should still have a jiggle to it in the center. *See video)
7. Allow the tart to cool to room temperature -about 45 minutes.
8. Carefully remove the tart from the pan, leaving the bottom attached if it is difficult to remove.
9. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Make ahead tips

The filling is so quick and easy to make that if you already have your crust made, the tart goes in the oven in no time. You can form the crust and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap once it has chilled for 30 minutes. Freeze it unbaked for up to 2 months. 

Serving

Remember, the tart is ready to pull from the oven when the center of the filling still has a jiggle to it but no longer has ripples or waves. That’s when you know it’s set. You don’t want to overcook it. The tart is best when served nice and cold, so be sure to let it chill in the refrigerator. Place it on a serving platter to display its beauty, and I like to finish it by dusting the edges with confectioner’s sugar. You can even garnish it with lemon slices or leave it as is to serve. Kali Orexi!

The more lemon, the better

• Lemon Cream Cake: Greek Lemonopita
• Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd & Mascarpone Frosting
• Lemon Ricotta Cake
• Greek Lemon & Phyllo Custard Pie: Lemonopita/Patsavouropita
• Yogurt Lemon Cake
• Pistachio & Lemon Cake
• LEMON OLIVE OIL CAKE

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The Best Lemon Bar Tart

Yield: 8 servings

A zesty and luscious lemon curd filling over a buttery shortbread crust. Irresistible and so beautiful!

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Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 8 oz (226g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (290g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

The Filling:

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (77g) all-purpose flour

Garnish:

• lemon slices
• confectioner's sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.

Make the Crust:

In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment add the butter, salt, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until fluffy. 2-3 minutes.

Place the flour and baking soda into a bowl and whisk together. Add the flour mixture to the mixer and beat on low speed until combined and a dough is formed.

Grease the inside of a 9 and 1/2 or 10-inch tart pan with butter. Press teh dough into the pan and chill in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Place the tart pan over a baking tray and dock the pastry with a fork. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven until lightly golden. About 25-30 minutes.

Press the bottom layer of the crust down gently with a fork. (see video)

Reduce the oven's temperature to 325 °F, 160 °C.

Make the Filling:

Zest the lemons and add the zest to a large mixxing bowls. Juice them and add the juice to the bowl. Add the eggs and sugar and whisk together until combined. Add the flour and whisk together until smooth.

Transfer the lemon filling into a pitcher with a spout and pour the filling into the baked crust.

Bake on the center rack for 25-30 minutes. The tart is ready when there are no longer ripples or waves in the filling and it is set. The filling should still have a jicggle to it in the center. (See video)

Allow the tart to cool to room temperature. Carefully remove the tart from the pan. Leave the bottom attached if it is difficult to remove.

Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Dust the edges with confectioner's sugar and garnish with lemon slices. Place on a serving platter and serve. Kali Orexi!

Notes

Make ahead tips: The crust can be formed and frozen (unbaked) up to 2 months. Once it has chilled wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and freeze.

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