Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (2024)

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A lemon curd tart recipe baked in a delicious olive oil tart shell made with Spanish olive oil. Plus, everything you need to know about choosing, storing and tasting olive oil.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (1)

You really can’t go wrong with lemon curd. Right now our lemon tree is producing like crazy, providing us with a bounty of lemons to use. We’ve been eating lemon curd by the gallon. Although I love spooning it on homemade yogurt, my new favorite thing is making baking it into this lemon curd tart. For this recipe, a traditional tart crust gets adelicious twist with tart dough made with olive oil. And for a plot twist – the lemon curd also uses olive oil instead of butter!

Intrigued? Read on…


Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (2)

Choosing a Quality Olive Oil

Make sure you use a top-notch olive oil for this recipe.High quality olive oil, like Olive Oils from Spain, is the star of this recipe. It’s an important ingredient in both the lemon curd and the crust. If you’ve never had lemon curd made olive oil, you’re in for a treat. Olive oil produces and smooth and bright lemon curd that is allows the acidity from the lemons to shine. Olive oil in the crust adds a burst of flavor and an unexpected lightness. The result is mouth-watering!

Here are some tips for finding a high quality olive oil at the grocery store:

  • Clear bottles, although great for display, are bad news for your oil. Pass on any clear bottle at the market, as any brand worth their salt will use dark glass bottles.
  • Choose a glass bottle, as olive oil can absorb the chemicals in the plastic. Gross!
  • Look for a bottling date. You should use olive oil within 18 months of its bottling date.

Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (3)

Join the Olive Oil World Tourto learn more about the health benefits of Olive Oil from Spain and the European heathy lifestyle. The tour will last for three years and include pop-ups in airports, train stations and other travel hubs all over the world from Europe to Asia to the USA. Find out if you’ll be traveling near an event by checking the schedule here. You can also follow along on social media via Facebook and Instagram. Let’s make it a tastier world!Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (4)

How Olive Oils are Made

Olive oil is made from 100% olive juice. The oils are obtained by pressing when the olives have reached optimum ripeness. Extra-virgin olive oil is the highest quality and has the best flavor. This is always the olive oil I choose for all my cooking and baking.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (5)

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil is a natural source of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. It also provides natural antioxidants such as polyphenols and vitamin E. Consuming Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in the context of a healthy diet like the Mediterranean Diet, reduces the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke by 30%.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (6)

Storing and Shelf Life of Olive Oil

Did you know that olive oil has a relatively short shelf life once opened?Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is a delicate product that can quickly deteriorate if not stored properly. Over time the smells and flavors deteriorate due to oxidation. As I mentioned before, make sure you choose an olive oil bottle that has dark glass and store it in a dark place. Unopened Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottles will keep in a dark place with moderate temperatures for about a year, depending on freshness. Lower quality oils expire quicker, in a few months.

Avoid light, hot air and strong odors to prolong olive oil’s shelf life. Resist the urge to use that bottle that’s been collecting dust on the counter for who knows how long. Make sure you look at the label when selecting a bottle of olive oil. Look for harvest date, quality seals and award stickers.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (7)

Olive Oil Flavors and Tasting Notes

Depending on the variety of olive used to make the oil, the flavors of olive oil vary greatly. Bitterness is actually a positive attribute in olive oil and is often more present in higher quality olive oils. You may also note a peppery taste in more intense olive oils. Acidity is a chemical parameter that helps dene which commercial category each oil belongs to. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a maximum of 0.8%, Virgin Olive Oil has a maximum of 2% and Olive Oil has a maximum of 1%.

If you prefer a delicate olive oil with fruity notes, look for olive oils made with Arbequina, Cornicabra, Empeltre or Arbosana olives. These pair well with chicken, vegetables or even desserts like this tart.

For more intense flavors and a stronger taste, look for Picual or Hojiblanca varieties. These pair well with vegetables like broccoli, salads and meats.

There’s an olive oil for everyone and every dish!

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Easy Olive Oil Tart Dough Recipe

It doesn’t get easier than this 5-ingredient olive oil tart dough. It’s pressed into the tart pan, meaning no rolling. The dough is ready as soon as you make it with no chilling or resting required, making it totally hassle free.

Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (9)

Candied Lemon Slices

An optional way to take this tart to the next level is by making your own candied lemon slices. It’s so easy and just takes a few steps.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (10)

Start by simmering lemon slices in sugar water

The will shrink a little, soften and become translucent.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (11)

Dry slices for at least an hour before layering on your baked tart.Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (12)

Why this is the Best Lemon Curd Tart

  • The easy 5-ingredient olive oil crust requires no chilling or rolling.
  • Lemon curd made with olive oil is perfectly balanced and so velvety.
  • Optional candied lemons make this tart absolutely stunning.
  • The dessert can be made in advance making it great for fuss-free entertaining.

Thanks so much for reading! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and musings from me.

Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (13)

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Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust

★★★★★5 from 2 reviews

A lemon curd tart recipe baked in a flaky olive oil tart shell. Plus everything you need to know about choosing, storing and tasting olive oil!

  • Author: Kelly Egan
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings, makes an 11-inch tart 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

Olive Oil Tart Dough Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • ½teaspoon kosher or table salt
  • ½cup mild olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk

Olive Oil Lemon Curd Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • 3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • ½ cup juice (about 3 lemons)
  • ¼ cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil

Candied Lemon Slices Ingredients

  • 3 lemons, sliced into wheels and seeds removed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Special Equipment:

Instructions

Make the olive oil tart shell:

  1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk a bit to allow the salt and sugar to sift the flour.
  2. Whisk the olive oil and milk in a small bowl until the oil emulsifies.
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the oil mixture into the flour. Mix gently with a fork until dry streaks disappear but dough is still crumbly. Do not over work.
  4. Turn out dough into pan. Use your hands to press out the dough to cover the bottom of the pan, pushing it up the sides to meet the edge, until about 1/8-inch thick. Trim and discard excess dough. Pastry is ready for use immediately – no need to chill.
  5. Line the shell with parchment parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, remove parchment paper and bake for 10 additional minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Make olive oil lemon curd filling:

  1. While the tart shell is cooking, stir together the sugar, flour and table salt in a medium saucepan.
  2. Add the eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stirring constantly, cook over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 160° Fahrenheit on a kitchen thermometer. Mixture will thicken slightly.
  3. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. Stir in olive oil until evenly mixed.
  4. Spoon filling into warm tart shell. Place tart pan onto a rimmed baking sheet and return to oven. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for until set and just barely moves when the pan is shaken, about 8-10 minutes.
  5. Let cool completely before unmolding.
  6. Decorate with candied lemon slices (recipe below). Slice and serve, cleaning knife between cuts.

Make Candied Lemon Slices

  1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a large skillet. Heat on medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
  3. Add lemon slices in a single layer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 15 minutes, flipping 1-2 times during the process. Slices will be soft and translucent.
  4. Lift slices from pan with a fork or tongs and let the sugar mixture drain off. Place on the waxed paper lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely before arranging on lemon tart.
  5. Slices will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Keywords: Lemon Curd Tart Recipe, Lemon Dessert, Olive Oil Crust

Thank you so much to Olive Oils from Spain for sponsoring this post. Follow the Olive Oil World Tour and see if they will be making a stop near you!

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Lemon Curd Tart Recipe with Olive Oil Crust (2024)

FAQs

How to know when lemon curd is done? ›

Dip a spoon into the curd then run your finger over the back of it. If it leaves a clean line in the curd, it's cooked enough and ready to cool. Curd will thicken up more once cooled completely. Spoon into a container, cover and refrigerate.

Why is my lemon tart filling not thickening? ›

You could try:
  1. Reheating it. Continuously whisk until the mixture reaches 170. ...
  2. Bloom one package (2.5 tsp or 7g) in 1/4 cup ( 60g ) of water for 5 minutes. Dissolve the bloomed gelatin in the microwave for 3-5 seconds. ...
  3. Mix 2 tablespoon of cornstarch in a 2 tablespoons of water and mix into lemon curd.
Mar 11, 2022

Why did my lemon curd not set? ›

Why is my lemon curd not thickening? Make sure to cook the curd until thickened and bubbling. Stir it frequently with a rubber spatula or whisk to make sure it doesn't get lumpy. Once it's cooked, add cold butter and stir until it melts and becomes smooth.

How do I thicken my lemon curd? ›

Add a cornstarch slurry: First, ensure your curd is cooked to 170 degrees F and if it still hasn't thickened, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

How to tell when curd tart is set? ›

Pour the cranberry curd and smooth into an even layer. Set the tart in the oven for 20-22 minutes, until it's matte colored all over, the sides don't move when jiggled but there's a slight jiggle in the center of the tart.

What happens if you overcook lemon curd? ›

What happens if I over-cook lemon curd? Overcooking will cause proteins to bond too tightly, squeezing water out from between them and giving them a rubbery, lumpy texture. If you over-heat the lemon curd, the egg proteins can coagulate and you will see little bits of cooked egg.

How to tell when a tart is done? ›

Once you've successfully got it in there, you can relax and let it bake for 20-30 minutes. You will know the tart is done when you can gently nudge the tin and the mix wobbles like set jelly.

How do you know if a tart is done? ›

Bake until the tart is set but with a little wobble in the centre (about 30 minutes). 11. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then trim overhanging crust.

Why is my lemon tart so runny? ›

If your lemon tart is runny, the mostly likely cause is not cooking the filling long enough.

How to fix broken lemon curd? ›

Gently heat the curdled mixture over low to medium heat in a saucepan. Keep stirring continuously to avoid further curdling and to help the ingredients re-emulsify.

What to do if your curd does not set? ›

You might have forgotten to make sure the starter you used had live bacteria. Either of those problems can be fixed by adding the right bacteria and watching the temperature more closely. You want to be especially careful not to have the temperature of the milk too warm when you add your starter.

Why does my lemon tart taste like metal? ›

A metallic aftertaste is usually the consequence of the lemon curd coming into contact with a metal (especially while it's hot). This could be a metal whisk, a metal bowl, a metal (or metal-coated) saucepan, or a metal sieve.

Does lemon curd set in the fridge? ›

Remove from heat and pass through a mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove the zest and any egg clumps. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd and let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

What makes curd thicker? ›

There are different methods for making curd, like whisking, foaming, and scrubbing, but the first thing you need to do is mix the milk and curd culture together. This is important because it helps the milk and curd starter combine fully, which leads to a thicker and richer curd.

Why does my lemon curd taste eggy? ›

Although lemon curd uses egg yolks and/or egg whites, the final product shouldn't taste eggy. If it does, it may mean that you've overcooked your eggs. In saying that, traditional lemon curd does have a distinct after taste which doesn't sit well with some.

Can you undercook lemon curd? ›

Undercooking it

If you don't cook the mixture long enough or let it get hot enough, it can be just as disastrous as overcooking it. Sadly, undercooked lemon curd stays soupy even after it fully cools.

How to tell if curd is set in the oven? ›

Thickening: Lemon curd will start to thicken as it cooks. To check for thickness, dip a spoon into the mixture and run your finger across the back. If the line remains distinct, the curd is thick enough. Coating the back of a spoon: If the lemon curd coats the back of a spoon and doesn't run off, it's done.

How long does curd need to set? ›

While in a warm climate, the curd will take around 4 to 7 hours, while it will take a bit longer in winters. In a cool climate it can easily take around 8 to 10 hours. Make sure the temperature of the milk before setting the curd is warm enough during winters, otherwise the curd won't set properly.

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