Earl Grey Lemon Tart with a Shortcrust Pastry
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I love citrus in all its springy, tangy glory. Like in this perfect crunchy calamansi glaze or in this herby lemon focaccia. Somehow, eating something citrusy always puts me in a good mood as if the sun just shines a little brighter on those days. I wasn’t planning on making this tart at first but there were so many requests for it that I just had to do it. After all, who can say no to a good tart? (obviously, this is a trick question)
This is a basic tarte au citron except it being vegan and my addition of earl grey tea which is my personal touch. The bergamot citrus undertones and warm floral flavor of earl grey makes it the perfect pair for lemon compared to other tea leaves. So if you have good quality earl grey on hand, I urge you to try it here. I mention quality because it is a big factor in this tart. I find that low quality tea leaves tends to make the tart bitter and give it a weird aftertaste. If you are not sure how to choose tea here’s a quick guide to get you started. You can also use your go-to brand since you know more or less how their products are sourced and are overall more reliable.
How to make an Earl Grey Lemon Tart
The first part of this Earl Grey Lemon Tart is making the easy pastry case. I decided to use a shortcrust pastry but you can also use your favorite pâté sucrée recipe which will work great for this tart. All you have to do is combine all the crust ingredients, chill the dough in the fridge then, when cold, roll it out onto the tart pan. There is no need for any crimping since the pan does all the work for you. Also, don’t worry if cuts and tears form when transferring the dough to the tart pan! Just grab some excess crust and patch the holes up. it will be as good as new, I promise!
Once you have the crust done and chilling in the tart pan, you can either watch a movie or start on the filling. Making the lemon custard only takes about 5 minutes which gives you a lot of downtime to do whatever else you want. Unless, you include the juicing time which goes very quickly when you have a pair of extra hands and large juicy lemons. To make the filling, simply place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz away. Ta da! All done and high fives all around.
When the crust is fully chilled, start par-baking it in the hot oven. Par-baking means to partially bake the pie crust without the filling so you get a nice sturdy golden crust. This term often gets confused with blind baking which involves fully baking the crust. You will know when the crust is properly par-baked when the edges have slightly browned and the base looks dry and firm. If you want to know more about pie baking, Erin Mcdowell does an amazing in-depth breakdown in this video. It’s filled with lovely tips and visuals so definitely check it out if you can.
Okay, back to this tart. Once your crust is par-baked, immediately pour the lemon filling and return to the oven until the filling is firm but still a bit wobbly. This tart does take some time to cool and set in the fridge so make this a day before you plan to serve it.
The last and most fun part is the decorating. You can either go minimal or elaborate with the designs. I just topped mine with extra lemon slices and lemon twists.
A Word on Lemon Desserts
I know everybody has their own personal idea of the perfect lemon pie but this one is mine. Not too sweet, not too sour with a velvety creamy curd. I find that this sort of criteria is hard to come by from dessert places around my town. Sadly, a lot of them are too artificially sweet and don’t have any sort of tang or resemblance to the fruit it once was. Totally annoying but like I said, maybe I’m just really particular about my lemon desserts. This is also why I’m not a huge fan of lemon flavored candies (the berry flavored ones are the best!) or lemon drops (although my mom consumes a pack every week).
Also, keep in mind that my lemons might be riper than yours or vice versa ultimately changing how each tart can taste. It’s best to follow the recipe then taste the filling before baking. From here, you can easily add a tablespoon of sugar at a time until you’re happy. The same goes for cream if you want a creamier custard. However avoid adding too much cream as it will affect the baking time and will make the filling too runny.
Just A Few Tips
- Always use cold ingredients when making the crust. I have heard that replacing the water with cold vodka supposedly makes the crust flakier. Although, I haven’t tried it myself.
- I chose to infuse the earl grey into the cream but you can also add the tea leaves into the crust for an extra punch of flavor. To do this, mix fine tea leaves with the flour then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Use good quality earl grey tea. It will make a difference in taste so it’s worth the extra splurge. Also, I prefer to use tea bags since they are easier to strain and tend to be finer than loose tea leaves.
- Wait for the tart to fully cool and set before slicing. Cutting into this tart before it properly sets will be quite messy and it WILL ooze all over the place.
- This tart goes so well with whipped coconut cream or fresh berries. You can also top it off with a beautiful torched meringue for an earl grey lemon meringue pie. If you’re looking for a vegan meringue, I have a marshmallow version that would work here.
Let me know if you try making this Earl Grey Lemon Tart with Shortcrust Pastry by leaving a comment/review down below! Can’t wait to see your incredible bakes!
Earl Grey Lemon Tart with Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 250 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 50 g (½ cup) powdered sugar ,sifted
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 150 g (⅔ cup) butter/plant based butter ,cubed
- 1-3 tbsp ice water*
Lemon Custard
- zest of one lemon
- 158 mL (⅔ cup) lemon juice
- 148 g (5.2 oz) silk tofu
- 132 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) coconut cream*
- 33 g (2½ tbsps) butter/plant based butter ,melted
- 180 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) sugar ,preferably white
- 33 g (4 tbsp) cornstarch
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 5 g (3 tea bags) earl grey tea
Instructions
Pastry Time
- To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt together. Add in the cubes of butter and use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dough until it starts to appear like coarse sand (should still see small clumps of butter). Add in the ice water one tablespoon at a time, using your hands or a pastry cutter to bring the dough together. Only add as much water as you need to form the dough. The less water you add the better.
- When the dough comes together in your hands and still has specks of butter, begin shaping it into a disk, wrap in cling wrap then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.*
- Once the dough has chilled, place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust with flour. Position the dough at the center then place another sheet of parchment on top. Begin rolling the pastry until it is 10" in diameter and ⅛" thick. Gently transfer the pastry to your tart pan, lightly pressing it into the corners. Trim off any excess pastry and prick the base and sides with a fork. If any tears form, patch it up with leftover pieces of dough. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the pastry.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare your baking beans and a glass bowl where you can place your hot beans in later. Line the chilled tart crust with parchment paper large enough to cover the tart while including some overhang. Fill it with the baking beans, spreading it to the corners and up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 350°F (180°) then use the parchment paper overhang to remove the beans. Continue to bake the crust, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until the base starts to firm up and develop some browning.
Lemon Custard
- While the crust is baking, start making the earl grey lemon filling. In a small pot, heat the coconut cream and tea until scalding. Quickly remove from the heat, cover the pot and leave to steep for 5-20 minutes. Remove the tea bags and pour the infused cream into a food processor together with the other ingredients and blitz everything together. Taste and adjust the sweetness as needed.
- Once the pastry is done baking, pour the filling into the tart case (yes, even if the crust is still hot). Bake the lemon tart for 30-40 minutes or until the filling has set but still a bit wobbly. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating. Chill the tart for at least 4 hours before serving. Enjoy!
