I used to search for Lemon chicken recipes every single night. I wanted that perfect Easy Lemon Chicken to impress my mother-in-law. But honestly? My heart wasn’t in it. I kept thinking about something sweet instead. Even when I tried making a Healthy Lemon Chicken or a rich Lemon Butter Chicken, I found myself dreaming of buttery pastry shells. The savory stuff just never excited me the way sugar and butter do. Funny how that happens. You start out looking for a savory Lemon Herb Chicken to feed the family. Then you realize what you actually need is a recipe for dessert that makes you smile. These tartlets are exactly that. They have this sharp tang that wakes you up and a crust that melts away. I love how the yellow curd looks against the pale pastry. It is cheerful and bright and demands to be eaten. I made these last week when I was supposed to be doing laundry. The smell filled the kitchen and made the whole house feel brighter. It is just lemon and butter and sugar doing what they do best. No complications here. Just a simple treat that tastes like sunshine. You are going to love them.

I admit that I spend too much time looking at Dessert Recipes. It is a habit. Last Tuesday, I sat down to find Lemon chicken recipes for our dinner. I wanted a Healthy Lemon Chicken to offset the weekend. But my mind wandered. I saw a bag of bright yellow lemons and forgot about dinner. I thought about tartlets instead. These tartlets are now one of my most cherished Dessert Recipes.

I know I should have stuck to the plan. I should have made Lemon Herb Chicken. But sometimes you just need something sweet. This is the perfect recipe for dessert when you need a pick me up. It is better than any Lemon Butter Chicken I have ever made. My family didn’t mind. They ate the tartlets and forgot we skipped the main course.

If you are tired of searching for Easy Lemon Chicken, just bake these. You will find that Dessert Recipes like this one bring more joy than a salad ever could. Dessert Recipes are simply good for the soul. I am Eleanor, and here at Eleanor Cooks, I believe in butter over broccoli.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Lemon Tartlets Recipe
3) Ingredients for Lemon Tartlets
4) How to Make Lemon Tartlets
5) Tips for Making Lemon Tartlets
6) Making Lemon Tartlets Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Lemon Tartlets
8) Try these Dessert recipes next!
9) Lemon Tartlets Recipe
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

Why should you use cold butter for the pastry?
What makes the lemon curd thicken properly?
How do you stop the tart shells from puffing up?
When is the best time to add the butter to the curd?

2) Easy Lemon Tartlets Recipe

Bright. These lemon tartlets are a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day. I love how the sharp acid of the lemon cuts through the rich, buttery crust. It wakes up your tongue. You take one bite and you feel more awake.

Simple. People get scared of pastry. I get it. The idea of rolling out dough can feel like a chore. But this dough is forgiving. You just press it into the tins. If it cracks, you patch it. It does not need to be perfect. Rustic is a good look for these.

Crowd-pleaser. I brought a tray of these to a block party last month. They vanished in ten minutes. People love individual desserts. It feels special to have your own little pie. You don’t have to share. You get all the crust and all the filling to yourself.

Therapeutic. There is something calming about stirring lemon curd. You stand over the stove and watch it transform. It goes from liquid to thick and glossy. It smells like summer in the kitchen. It beats scrolling through your phone.

3) Ingredients for Lemon Tartlets

All-Purpose Flour: This is the backbone of your shell. You don’t need fancy cake flour here. Regular flour gives the crust enough structure to hold that gooey filling without crumbling in your hand.

Powdered Sugar: I use powdered sugar in the crust instead of granulated. It melts into the dough better. It makes the pastry tender and soft rather than crunchy. It feels like a shortbread cookie.

Cold Unsalted Butter: The butter must be cold. I mean rock hard. If it is soft, your pastry will be greasy. The cold butter creates little pockets in the dough that make it flaky. I usually pop mine in the freezer for ten minutes before I start.

Fresh Lemons: You need real lemons for this. Please do not use the stuff in the plastic bottle. It tastes metallic. You want the zest and the fresh juice. The zest has the essential oils that give it that deep lemon flavor.

Eggs and Yolks: We use whole eggs and extra yolks. The yolks add richness. They give the curd that beautiful yellow color and a velvety texture. It makes the filling feel luxurious on your tongue.

4) How to Make Lemon Tartlets

Step 1. Grab your food processor. Toss in the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse it once to mix. Add the cold butter chunks. Pulse it until it looks like coarse sand. Don’t overmix it or the dough will get tough. Add the yolk and pulse just until it clumps.

Step 2. Dump the dough onto the counter. Use your hands to push it into a ball. Flatten it into a disc. Wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge. It needs to chill for an hour. This lets the gluten relax so the crust doesn’t shrink in the oven.

Step 3. Preheat your oven. Roll out the dough. Cut circles and press them into your tart tins. Poke the bottoms with a fork. Line them with paper and weights. Bake them until they are golden. Let them cool down completely. A hot shell melts the filling.

Step 4. Make the curd. Whisk the eggs, sugar, zest, and juice in a heatproof bowl. Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly. Do not stop whisking or you will make sweet scrambled eggs. Whisk until it is thick like pudding.

Step 5. Take the bowl off the heat. Let it cool for two minutes. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time. This is the secret. The butter emulsifies into the hot liquid and makes it glossy. Pour the curd into the shells and chill them.

5) Tips for Making Lemon Tartlets

Watch the Heat. When you cook the curd, keep the water at a gentle simmer. If it boils too hard, it heats the bowl too fast. You want gentle steam to cook the eggs slowly. This ensures a smooth texture without any grainy bits.

Strain it. Even if you are careful, sometimes little bits of egg white cook too fast. I always push my warm curd through a fine mesh sieve before adding the butter. It catches the zest and any egg bits. You end up with a silky smooth cream.

Room Temperature Lemons. Roll your lemons on the counter before you cut them. Press down hard with your palm. This breaks the little sacs inside and helps them release more juice. You get more liquid for your effort.

Don’t Overfill. It is tempting to fill the shells to the very brim. But the curd is soft. If you overfill, it spills when you try to move the tray to the fridge. Leave a tiny rim of pastry showing. It looks neater and keeps your floor clean.

6) Making Lemon Tartlets Ahead of Time

I love recipes I can break into parts. You can make the dough for these shells days in advance. Keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Or freeze it for a month. Just let it thaw overnight before you roll it out.

You can also bake the shells the day before. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay crisp. Do not put baked empty shells in the fridge or they get soft. They need to stay dry.

The curd can be made ahead too. Keep it in a jar in the fridge for a week. When you are ready to serve, just spoon the cold curd into the shells. It is a great stress saver for dinner parties.

7) Storing Leftover Lemon Tartlets

These are best eaten the day you assemble them. The pastry is crisp and the filling is soft. But if you have leftovers, you can keep them. Place them in a container with a tight lid. Put them in the fridge.

They will last for about two days. After that, the moisture from the lemon curd soaks into the crust. The bottom gets a bit soggy. They still taste delicious, but you lose that nice crunch. I usually eat the leftovers for breakfast with my coffee.

Do not freeze the finished tartlets. The curd texture changes when it thaws. It can split or get watery. Just enjoy them fresh or keep them in the fridge for a quick treat.