Lemon Tart Recipe

Make dough

Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Add cold cubed butter and rub with fingertips or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse sand with pea-sized butter bits.

Bind and chill

Stir in egg yolk, cold water and vanilla just until dough starts to come together. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).

Blind bake crust

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to about 1/8" (3 mm) thick and line a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom, pressing into edges. Trim excess. Prick base lightly with a fork. Chill tart shell in the freezer 15 minutes. Line shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 8–10 minutes until edges are golden and base set. Let cool slightly while preparing filling.

Prepare lemon mixture

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together whole eggs, egg yolk and granulated sugar until smooth and slightly pale.

Add lemon and cream

Whisk in fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, heavy cream and a pinch of salt until combined.

Cook curd gently (stovetop method)

Place the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water (double boiler). Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula (about 8–12 minutes, temperature ~170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil. Remove from heat.

Finish curd with butter and Grand Marnier

Off heat, whisk in cold diced butter a tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated and glossy. Stir in Grand Marnier. Taste and adjust seasoning—add a touch more salt or 1/2 tbs extra liqueur if desired. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg and zest for a silky texture.

Fill tart shell

Pour the warm (not piping hot) lemon custard into the pre-baked tart shell. Smooth surface with an offset spatula. Let cool at room temperature 30–45 minutes, then refrigerate until fully set, about 2 hours (up to overnight).

Prepare glaze

Warm citron marmalade with 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan over low heat until melted and loose, stirring to combine (30–60 seconds). Strain if there are large peel pieces for a smoother finish.

Glaze tart

Brush a thin layer of warm marmalade glaze over the chilled lemon filling for shine and a hint of bitter-sweet citrus. Return tart to the refrigerator 10–15 minutes to set the glaze.

Serve

Optionally dust edges lightly with confectioners' sugar before slicing. Cut into 8–10 slices and serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.