Lemon tart, its history and our best addresses

Anne Debbasch | 7/3/24, 4:52 PM

A popular dessert the world over, lemon tarts are a gourmet's delight. Well-codified, it combines shortcrust pastry, lemon cream and sometimes meringue. Today's pastry chefs have come up with interpretations with character, revealing all the facets of the citrus fruit.

Born in England in the XVIIIᵉ century, the United States preferred it with lime - the key lime pie - while the Swiss added meringue to it in the XIXᵉ. Surprisingly, lemon pie only arrived late in France. Unlike classic fruit tarts, it doesn't consist of fruit wedges, but a cream with egg, butter and sugar, flavored with lemon. Today, patissiers are imagining more flavorsome versions, drawing from the citrus family or seasoning it with an unexpected ingredient. Gault&Millau went to meet five of the most gourmet interpretations.

Citron jaune en Absolu, Claire Damon, Des gâteaux et du pain, Paris

Sleek and elegant, Claire Damon's lemon tart celebrates citrus in all its splendor. "I use organic lemons from Corsica or Italy. To preserve all the lemon's flavors, they are processed ultra-fresh and squeezed extemporaneously to create the creaminess. The olive oil meringue adds roundness, while the crumbly shortbread dough provides textural contrast and an unfailing gourmet delight! Vive la nature.

Where? 63 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris and 89 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris
www.desgateauxetdupain.com

ClaireDamon - PhilippeVaures

Lemon tart, Frédéric Cassel & Steven Gerault, Fontainebleau

With its sweet pastry, soft lemon and almond cookie, fresh lime and lemon marmalade and lemon cream, this no-fuss, no-frills tart is an ode to lemon. It perfectly balances all the facets of the lemon: acidity, bitterness and fragrance. Frédéric Cassel adds a personal touch with pine nuts. Their subtle fragrance and crunchiness underline the citrus flavors. Visually, they add an extra touch of elegance.A bold statement!

Read Gault&Millau's review of Frédéric Cassel
Where? 71-73 rue Grande, 77300 Fontainebleau, France
www.fréderic-cassel.com

Steven Gerault

Zestes barrières, Bricoleurs de douceurs, Marseille

Aurélie and Clément have imagined a variation on the lemon tart in which the citrus flavors are exacerbated. On the lemon side, they chose to combine the creamy lemon with kalamansi, a small, distinctive citrus fruit probably derived from a cross between mandarin and kumquat trees. For roundness and indulgence, the sweet pastry is filled with an almond cream. A lemon ganache, kalamansi confit and candied kalamansi are added for a sunny variation on the lemon tart. To be discovered without delay.

Where? 256 Rue d'Endoume, 13007 Marseille
www.bricoleursdedouceurs.fr

JPGaradebian - ilyafoodstories

Yuzunoka, L'A Pâtisserie KG, Fontainebleau

Chef Kunihisa Goto and pastry chef Ayako Kishi give their interpretation of the lemon tart. Lively, tangy and visually long, this variation stands out for its shape and flavors. A tart with a distinctly Japanese expression, where candied yuzu zest blends cheerfully into the cream, accompanied by candied lemon, adding freshness and sparkling flavors. A detour to Fontainebleau is amust.

Where? 41 rue de France, 77300 Fontainebleau, France
www.lapatisserie-kg.com
Read Gault&Millau's review of L'A Pâtisserie KG

Bonbon de chocolat lemon tart, Johan Giacchetti, Le Bristol, Paris

You had to think of it! Imagine a trompe-l'œil chocolate bonbon that reproduces in every detail the fundamentals of lemon meringue pie. From the very first bite, you'll find yourself immersed in the tart, tangy delights of this tart, with the dark chocolate coating adding just the right amount of delicious crunch. "For Japan, I imagined a box of tea-time chocolate bonbons inspired by the pastries served at tea-time.For the lemon tart version, the bonbon is composed of a crunchy almond hazelnut praline reminiscent of the pastry, a lemon white chocolate ganache and a meringue." The range also includes chocolate Mont-Blanc, orange tart, Opéra and millefeuille. A bluffing tasting!

Where? 112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
www.oetkercollection.com

These news might interest you

Craftsmen & Know-How

Orleans vinegar

Created on the banks of the Loire, Orléans vinegar has long been known throughout France and on the tables of kings. In the 18th century, during its golden age, the city was home to several hundred artisan vinegar makers. Today, Maison Martin-Pouret is the only company to have maintained this tradition since 1797.

Read

Craftsmen & Know-How

Seaweed bliss

Jean-Marie and Valérie Pédron gather, preserve and process seaweed from the Guérande peninsula, delivering it to France's top chefs. The couple also aim to democratize the use of this coastal treasure, which is rarely used in cooking.

Read

Craftsmen & Know-How

Jade Genin transforms Easter eggs into works of art

For Easter, Jade Genin transforms chocolate into an exceptional sculpture. Blooma, her latest creation, is as fascinating to contemplate as it is to taste.

Read

Craftsmen & Know-How

Ebony treasure from The Peninsula Paris For Easter, Anne Coruble has created a trompe-l'oeil that's truer than life, with its curves of black garlic and subtle caramelized taste. Beneath a shell of 40% Madagascar milk chocolate, eight cloves enclose a candied black garlic ganache and hazelnut praline. A precious creation that opens without being broken, so hesitant is it to open. Price: 95 euros Pre-order from March 29 and on sale from April 12. The turtle candy box from Manufacture Ducasse Set a course for the Mediterranean with this turtle-shaped bonbonnière made entirely of chocolate, from base to lid. inside are "turtle nuggets" combining vanilla marshmallow and hazelnut praline, as well as coconut praline bells. Price: 67 euros À la mère de famille hens À la mère de famille carries on the tradition with its chocolate hens, available in several sizes and named after the owners and their families who have marked the history of the house (Hélène, Julia, Adélaïde, Jane and Claude). Two recipes: a dark chocolate with woody, earthy notes, and a milk chocolate with milk and caramel accents. inside, an assortment of butterflied praline eggs, praline fritures and dry fritures. Price: 19 to 122 euros depending on format available from March 17, 2025 The Cheval Blanc Paris Easter bell Maxime Frédéric imagines a bell in motion, in homage to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Its dark chocolate base conceals a tablet filled with vanilla caramel and crispy hazelnut praline. The milk chocolate belfries enclose a praline tablet, while the yoke houses chocolate-coated caramelized hazelnuts. The dark chocolate bell is transformed into a mendiant, studded with dried and candied fruit. Price: 135 euros Edwart Chocolatier Three mischievous animals are part of Edwart's Easter collection: Yara, the lively, inquisitive bird, Eloa, the dreamy frog, and Taïno, the mischievous, playful monkey. All made from Grands Crus cocoa, for a playful blend of indulgence and character. Credit: Edwart Spring takes flight at Waldorf Astoria Versailles - Trianon Palace Eddie Benghanem has created a poetic tribute to spring: a little bird perched on a tree trunk with delicate sugar flowers. inside, an alliance of dark chocolate, chocolate almond cake, dark ganache and crunchy praline. Price: 45 euros Capon Head for Chaponie, where jungle animals come to life in chocolate. Léonard the leopard in milk chocolate, Suzy the zebra in white chocolate, Zoé the bonobo in milk chocolate, Bob the bear in dark chocolate. All deliciously garnished with fried food. Price: 19 euros each Cédric Grolet's trompe-l'œil chocolates Almond, hazelnut, peanut and pecan: five dried fruits sublimated in trompe-l'œil. Beneath a crunchy chocolate shell, a praline made from the fruit in question, with a hint of fleur de sel. Available in S and M sizes. Size S: 30 euros Size M: 50 euros from March 26, pre-order on our website Claire Heitzler's Bibis Chef Claire Heitzler has created three chocolate bears, tenderly nicknamed Les Bibis. Milk, dark or white, each contains an assortment of three-chocolate and praline chips. Cyril Lignac Farm animals take center stage in this collection by Cyril Lignac: hens, pigs and sheep in crunchy chocolate, topped with praline eggs and mini chocolate bears. Available in dark, milk or dulcey versions. Available from March 27 Maison Boissier lace cats This year, Maison Boissier pays tribute to felines with a box of two cats in dark and milk chocolate, finely sculpted and filled with sweet treats. Price: 125 euros Cagnes Sheep, bunny and hen take shape in dark or milk chocolate. Under their shells, a heart of chocolate chips and crunchy marbles. starting at 20 euros Arnaud Larher MOF Arnaud Larher unveils a collection of four whimsical creatures, all topped with fritures. Kim the parrot in white chocolate and Ruby, René the elephant in caramel chocolate, Émilie the gorilla in intense dark chocolate, and Élio the lion in white chocolate and caramel. Prices: from 35 to 64 euros from March 20

Read

Craftsmen & Know-How

Exceptional eggs from chefs and artisans for Easter 2025

Chefs and artisans reinvent the Easter egg with creations as surprising as they are refined. Unexpected shapes and daring flavors, discover our selection.

Read

Craftsmen & Know-How

Flan

A baker's dessert par excellence, the flan has returned to center stage in recent years, and social networks have made it a veritable gourmet star. Pastry chefs have seized upon it, bringing their know-how and high technical standards to the table.

Read