Strawberry Honey Custard Lemon Curd Tarts (Printable)
Buttery shells filled with honey custard, lemon curd, and fresh strawberries for an elegant summery dessert.
# What You Need:
→ Tart Shells
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1 large egg yolk
05 - 1-2 tbsp cold water
06 - Pinch of salt
→ Honey Custard
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/4 cup honey
10 - 3 large egg yolks
11 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
12 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
→ Lemon Curd
14 - 2 large eggs
15 - 2 large egg yolks
16 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
17 - 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
18 - 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
19 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
→ Assembly
20 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
21 - Fresh mint leaves for garnish
# How-To:
01 - Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water, pulsing until dough begins to come together. Add additional water only if necessary for dough to form.
02 - Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow gluten to relax.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and press into six 4-inch tart pans. Prick bottoms with a fork to prevent puffing.
04 - Line each tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then continue baking 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
05 - Combine milk, heavy cream, and honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to simmer.
06 - Whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth and slightly thickened.
07 - Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolks to temper. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching surface, and cool to room temperature.
08 - Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a saucepan until combined.
09 - Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened 5-7 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat.
10 - Whisk in cubed butter until completely melted and smooth. Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching surface, and refrigerate until set.
11 - Spoon cooled honey custard into tart shells, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Create an even layer of lemon curd over the custard base.
12 - Arrange fresh strawberry slices decoratively on top of each tart. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired. Serve chilled for best texture and flavor.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The honey adds a depth of flavor that white sugar simply cannot achieve, creating subtle floral notes that dance beautifully with the bright lemon
- These tarts look like they came from a French patisserie but come together in about an hour, even if you are new to pastry making
02 -
- I once rushed the chilling process for the tart dough and ended up with shells that shrank dramatically in the oven, so please do not skip the 30 minute refrigeration period
- When making both the custard and lemon curd, if you see even the slightest hint of scrambled eggs, immediately strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and keep going, as most people will never notice the tiny bits
03 -
- Room temperature eggs will whisk into the custard and curd more smoothly and incorporate better than cold eggs straight from the refrigerator
- When zesting your lemons, avoid the white pith underneath as it will make your curd bitter, and zest them before juicing them for easier handling