Citrus Stained Lemon Tart Recipe
Today I am sharing a new dessert recipe. It’s a Citrus Stained Lemon Tart Recipe and it is so good! I am pretty sure this is the first Citrus Stained Lemon Tart in the world.
One of my favorite desserts is a lemon tart.
But I don’t use regular lemons. I use Meyer lemons. I love Meyer lemons because they are quite a bit sweeter than a regular lemon, and a very pretty lemon-orange color.
We have a huge Meyer lemon tree in my backyard. It was a gift from my best friend twenty years ago. When she gave me the gift, it was a baby tree with little airline vodka bottles hung on it with pretty organza ribbon.
At the time, our children were young and we spent many, many, evenings in our backyard drinking vodka tonics (with a Meyer lemon squeeze) and chasing children. Not only have the children grown, but the tree is now a very large tree that produces a gazillion Meyer lemons!
I wanted to share my Meyer Lemon Tart recipe but I wanted to mix it up. I thought it might be fun to add some other citrus flavors, but I didn’t want them to all be mixed together. I wondered if I could stain the top of the tart with blood oranges, grapefruit, and lemons to create a stained glass look on top of the tart.
And that’s exactly what I did.
I made a Lemon tart with a twist.
How to Make a Citrus Stained Lemon Tart
What is this picture? Could it actually be my tart?
Well it is. This photo is the next to the last step of making my Citrus Stained Lemon Tart.
And yes, you could absolutely serve the tart looking like this. I just liked it better with just the taste of the citrus instead.
I used a shortbread crust recipe that I have used for years and swapped out the King Arthur 1 for 1 Gluten-Free Flour to make it gluten-free.
I used my lemon bar recipe for the tart filling.
I baked the tart first and it looked just like my lemon bars.
For the citrus stain, I cut blood oranges, oranges, grapefruit and Meyer lemons into rings about ¼ inch thick.
I started by trimming away all of the pith and learned quickly that the citrus disintegrated and lost its shape without the pith.
So I started over and trimmed the pith, but left enough for the citrus to keep its shape.
Next, I put each of the citrus rounds onto a foil-covered cookie sheet. I sprinkled each liberally with sugar and I melted the sugar on the fruit under the broiler.
I went to the trouble of planning out the fruit on a piece of parchment paper with an outline of the pan. You probably don’t need to do this.
Once the citrus was “bruleed” and cooled, I placed the citrus, sugar side down onto the baked lemon tart.
The sugar and juices from the citrus rounds seeped onto the lemon tart staining the top with color and leaving a wonderful flavoring of blood orange, orange, grapefruit, and lemon behind.
Ideally, let the fruit seep for at least an hour.
This tart is so yummy. The shortbread crust is buttery and flaky and hello, lemon bar filling? How could I go wrong? The blood oranges left behind the darkest stain, but the grapefruit and orange juices that seeped into the tart gave it such a lovely citrus accent.
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After the fruit “seeped” for about an hour, I took off the fruit and ended up with a beautiful Citrus Stained Lemon Tart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. I think it might be hard to cut but it certainly looks pretty with the citrus on top.
Regular lemons are much larger in size and lighter in color when compared to Meyer Lemons. Meyer lemons have a deep yellow skin and dark yellow pulp. Meyer lemons are less acidic and sweeter in taste. In fact, I think Meyer lemons taste a gazillion percent better!
Of course. Just substitue the flour for white, rice or any other flour.
Citrus Stained Lemon Tart Recipe
Citrus Stained Lemon Tart
This Citrus Stained Lemon Tart is one of a kind. I love the taste and it is gluten-free! Of course, if you want, you can leave the citrus on top to serve.
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Shortbread Crust
- 1-½ cups King Arthur 1 for 1 Gluten-Free Flour (or white flour if desired)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup confectioner sugar
- 1-½ sticks butter, cold and cut into ½ pieces
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Meyer Lemon Tart Filling
- 1-¼ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 TBL grated Meyer lemon zest
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
Instructions
Gluten-Free Shortbread Crust
Lightly spray removable bottom tart pan(s) with non-stick spray.
Blend flour, confectioner’s sugar, salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add vanilla and butter pieces and pulse until the dough just starts to come together and form clumps. This dough will be very crumbly. It is ready when you can scoop some into your hand, squeeze and it holds its shape when you open your hand.
Press the dough into the prepared pan evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork so that it doesn’t puff too much while baking. Place the crust(s) in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
While the dough is in the freezer, turn the oven on to 350 degrees and make the tart filling below.
Meyer Lemon Tart Filling
Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Once melted butter has cooled, add to the egg mixture and whisk until blended.
Once the dough has been in the freezer for at least 15 minutes, remove it from the freezer and place it in the oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown. Remove from the oven and fill with the tart filling. Return to the oven and continue to bake 15-20 minutes until the top is firm and bubbly looking (like lemon bars look) and the crust is browned.
While the tarts are in the oven, slice blood oranges, oranges, grapefruit, and Meyer lemons in ¼ inch rings. Cutaway most of the pith, leaving just enough to help the fruit keep shape. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place all of the citrus onto the foil. Sprinkle each of the citrus liberally with sugar. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler to brulee the citrus. Do not walk away! Keep an eye on this so that the sugar/juice does not flame.
Remove from the broiler after 6-8 minutes or when the juices start running from the citrus fruit. Remove the citrus to a cooling rack. Once the sugar is cooled so that you don’t burn yourself, place the citrus. sugar side down to the top of the tart and allow the citrus juices to bleed and stain the tart. Let cool completely. Remove the citrus when ready to serve.
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Your vanilla extract beans need to be completely submerged in liquor
They were at one point! 😊 I have been baking a ton!
Wow. Would love a Meyer lemon tree but it won’t last in New England.
I am so lucky to have one here in California! Stay warm Ruth! Have a great week!
Beautiful tart! Made my mouth water just looking at it! 😋Nice touch adding the other citrus slices. And pretty also 😊
Leslie,
This looks amazing. I’ll share a link back to this post on my Saturday Dirt Road Adventures round up. Plus… I pinned. Can’t wait to try this.
Oh my gosh Rachel, thank you so much for sharing and pinning! I very much appreciate it! You are the best!
Made your tart for Valentine’s Day! It was delicious and quite the hit! Thank you so much for sharing! Love your Blog!
Oh Dee, I am so glad you made it and that everyone enjoyed it. It is definitely one of my favorites! Thank you for letting me know! Have a great week!
Thus dish looks mouthwatering. I love anything made with lemons. This looks so yummy and pretty, that I can almost taste it. Yum!!!
If you love aanything with lemons, then definitely try this recipe Ivory! Super yummy and easy to make!