Baked French Lemon Tart | Tarte au Citron

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-free

Makes 1 large tart or 12-14 tartlets

Why It’s delicious

When challenged by our Bridget’s Healthy Kitchen community to design a lemon tart as a healthy treat, how could I turn down such a request? I’ve always loved a baked lemon tart, so it felt terrific to healthify it for all of us to share. 

The flavour is tangy yet creamy and every bit what I remember this tart to be. With a jiggly custard, the texture is pure decadence. 

Helpful Hints and Tips

This tart does require a couple of steps, so make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to make it. I like to make and bake the pastry cases the night before, so all I need to focus on on the day is creating the lemon custard and baking the tart. Oh, and of course, devouring it!  

This recipe calls for inulin powder, a soluble fibre derived from plant-based sources. It is a prebiotic, making it a fantastic ingredient for gut health and a healthy alternative to sugar. I use Pure as Inulin by Bridget's Healthy Kitchen, a 100% natural plant-based prebiotic chicory inulin powder to support a healthy digestive system. It also tastes like candy floss! Please check out our online store here to place an order. You can also read more about inulin powder --> here. 

To help maintain a sweet taste without adding refined sugar, I also use my Zero as Sugar Pure Erythritol. You’ll find this ingredient in many reduced-calorie and sugar-free foods and drinks. If you would like to purchase my Zero as Sugar Pure Erythritol which’s 100% natural, has zero calories, and registers zero on the glycemic index, you can find out more here.  

Ingredients

For the pastry 

• 200 g (7 oz) gluten-free plain flour + extra for dusting
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp Pure as Inulin Powder
• 5 tbsp coconut milk, or non-dairy milk of your choosing
• 2 egg yolks + egg white reserved for brushing
• 40 g (1.4 oz) coconut oil, melted
• 1 medium lemon, zest finely grated

For the lemon custard filling

• 3 medium lemons, zest finely grated and juiced
• 150 ml (5 FL oz) coconut cream, full fat
• 100 g (3.5 oz) Zero as Sugar Pure Erythritol
• 2 heaped tbsp Pure as Inulin Powder
• 5 large eggs

Method

1. For the pastry, add the flour, baking powder and inulin powder to a bowl and stir. In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg yolks, coconut oil and lemon zest with a fork to stir through the yolks. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the wet ingredients, stirring until a dough forms. 
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench and knead gently to form a flat disc. If your dough feels a little wet, add a little more flour until a smooth, soft dough forms. 
3. Cover the disc with cling film and rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes before rolling. 
4. Preheat your oven at 190C (390F) and lightly brush a little melted coconut oil onto the base and sides of your cake tin or cupcake tins if making tartlets. 
5. Remove the dough from the fridge. Lay a large piece of baking paper onto the bench and centre the dough disc on the paper. Cover with another large piece of paper and roll the dough out until it is 3mm thick. 
6. For the large tart, carefully pick the pastry up and lay into the tin. Make sure the pastry has no holes, you may need to do a little surgery to get the pastry even on the base and up the sides of the pie or tart tin. 
7. For the tartlets, using a large round cookie cutter or an upside-down mug, cut out 12-14 rounds and gently and evenly push each pastry round into the muffin holes. 
8. The next step is to bake blind, which means to bake the pastry case/s without any filling to ensure a nice crispy base that holds its shape.  
9. Lightly prick the pastry with a fork and line the pie or tart cases with baking paper. A good hint is to scrunch the baking paper first then unwrap it before lining, as this will make it easier for the paper to stay in place. Use baking beans, raw rice or pasta to hold down the pastry, and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and lightly coloured. 
10. Remove the baking beans/rice and paper and allow the tarts to cool completely in the tin/tins.
11. When you’re ready to fill and bake the tarts, preheat your oven on 120C (250F) and brush the tarts with a little egg white to seal the pastry before placing the tart case/cases into the oven to heat up. 
12. For the custard add all the custard ingredients to a heatproof bowl and whisk well to combine. Place the bowl over the top of a simmering pot with 5 cm (2 inch) water. Ensure the bowl isn’t touching the water and gently begin to cook the custard, stirring continuously. 
13. The custard is ready when it just coats the back of the spoon. You don’t want to cook it too much- you want watery custard, not too thick. The best way to tell if your custard is ready is to test the temperature with a food thermometer. Once the custard reaches 60C (140F) remove the pot immediately from the heat. 
14. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a jug and pour the custard into the warm tart case. Cook the tart in the oven for 20-25 minutes for a large one and 6-8 minutes for small ones. The tart is ready when the custard has thickened, but still has a nice jiggle to it. You can also use a food thermometer to check the custard. When the temperature reaches 70C (160F), the custard is ready. 
15. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool completely in the tin before serving. 
16. Serve your tarts sprinkled with a little extra inulin powder and glazed gently with a blowtorch (if you have one!) You can also serve your tart with whipped coconut cream on the side.