Tart shell
- 1 blind-baked tart shell (→ Pâte Sucrée)
Crémeux citron
- 2 whole eggs
- 100 g sugar
- 120 g lemon juice (~3 lemons)
- 80 g cold butter
Meringue italienne
- 150 g egg whites
- 50 g water + 200 g sugar (syrup)
- 10 g caster sugar (for whipping)
Two schools exist for the lemon filling — the crémeux (anglaise-style, no starch) and the starch-thickened crème pâtissière version. This is the Sweety crémeux: thickened purely from eggs and emulsified butter, poured hot into the shell. The hand blender is the key tool here, giving the curd a smooth, glossy texture that holds the Italian meringue cleanly.
Method
Shell
- Blind-bake a pâte sucrée shell. While still warm, brush the inside with a thin layer of beaten egg and return to the oven for 2 min — this seals the shell and prevents sogginess.
Crémeux citron
- Whisk eggs and sugar together. Add lemon juice and switch to a spatula — no air.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Do not boil.
- Pour into a tall container. Add cold butter and blend with a hand blender to emulsify.
- Pour into the cooled shell. Refrigerate 2 h, or freeze 30 min.
Meringue italienne
- Heat water and sugar to 118 °C. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, adding the 10 g sugar when they foam.
- Pour hot syrup in a thin stream into the running whites. Beat until cool — the bowl should feel neutral to the touch.
- Pipe over the set lemon curd. Torch or briefly grill.
Background
There are two schools for the lemon filling. The crémeux (anglaise style, no starch) thickens purely from eggs and emulsified butter — it must never boil or the eggs scramble. The crème pâtissière style (starch-thickened, CAP recipe) is more forgiving and holds better under the meringue, but has a heavier mouthfeel.
For the Sweety version above, the hand blender emulsification is the key step — done hot, it gives the curd a smooth, glossy texture that holds the Italian meringue cleanly. Seal the shell with egg before filling, always.
Mistakes I’ve Made
- Boiling the crémeux. Scrambled egg flecks, grainy texture. Keep it below a simmer.
- Not sealing the tart shell. The lemon juice soaks in and the base turns soggy within an hour.
- Meringue too hot when piped. It slides off the curd. Let the syrup cool slightly.
- Piping meringue on warm curd. Melts the top layer. Curd must be fully set.
Sources
- Tarte Citron — Sweety recipe —
- Recette FX —
- Recette CAP —