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A bright and fragrant lemon ginger tart featuring a lime-scented shortbread crust and silky lemon curd enhanced with fresh ginger juice. The crust is easy to prepare without rolling or chilling, and the curd is cooked gently on the stovetop. Optionally topped with Italian meringue made from leftover egg whites.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 grams) unsalted butter (for crust)
  • Zest of one lime
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 8-inch piece ginger (or equivalent pieces)
  • 1 cup sugar (for curd)
  • 5 whole large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 grams) unsalted butter (for curd)
  • 2 egg whites (for meringue)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar (for meringue)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (for meringue syrup)
  • 1/4 cup water (for meringue syrup)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and kosher salt.
  3. Melt 1/2 cup butter and stir in the lime zest.
  4. Pour melted butter into dry ingredients and stir until moistened.
  5. Press dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
  6. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
  7. Grate the ginger finely and press through a fine-mesh strainer to extract about 2 tablespoons juice.
  8. In a bowl, whisk 5 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, and 1 cup sugar until smooth.
  9. Stir in lemon juice and freshly squeezed ginger juice.
  10. Warm the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and gently simmers (6–8 minutes).
  11. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 cup butter until incorporated and silky.
  12. Pour the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove cooked bits and zest.
  13. Pour the strained curd into the prebaked crust.
  14. Bake the tart at 350°F until edges are set but center jiggles, about 15 minutes.
  15. Let the tart cool to room temperature (~1 hour) then refrigerate to chill.
  16. For Italian meringue: place 2 egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment.
  17. Boil sugar and water in saucepan, monitoring temperature.
  18. When syrup reaches 220°F, start beating egg whites on medium speed.
  19. At 240°F, pour syrup in a thin stream into mixer while running.
  20. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  21. Spoon or pipe meringue over the cooled tart; optionally torch lightly.

Notes

Bright lemon flavor balanced with fresh ginger juice and lime zest in crust., Shortbread crust requires no rolling or chilling, just pressing into pan., Curd is made on stovetop without double boiler or tempering, using gentle heat and constant whisking., Leftover egg whites make a stable, cooked Italian meringue topping., Meringue is safe to eat as it is cooked with hot sugar syrup., Can top tart with whipped cream and fresh berries instead of meringue., Store covered in refrigerator up to 2 days; best eaten day of baking., Make-ahead friendly: crust and curd can be prepared earlier., Use Meyer lemons for sweeter, softer curd (reduce sugar if desired)., Variations include different crusts (gingersnap, graham cracker, almond-meal) and adding spices like cardamom or herbs like thyme.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/lemon-ginger-tart/