Chef Sarah’s Lemon Meringue Tarte

A Slice of Our Story: 18 Years of Cooking, Community, and Lemon Tarts 

Eighteen years ago, we opened the doors to our little Paris kitchen with a big idea: to share the joy of French cooking with curious food lovers from around the world. A lot has changed since that first class, but the heart of Cook’n With Class is still the same, small groups, passionate chefs, and real French recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

So how are we celebrating our 18th anniversary? With the recipe that started it all for our very own Chef Sarah!

Before she was teaching pâte à choux and croissant lamination like a pro, she posted her very first recipe with us: a bright, citrusy French lemon meringue tart. It’s sweet, it’s tart, and it’s topped with a glossy, golden meringue that turns heads every time.

This classic dessert has made plenty of appearances in our French Desserts class, and it’s been a hit with beginners looking to master their first tart as well as seasoned bakers craving a return to the basics.

Why this lemon tart recipe works for beginners:

• The pâte sucrée base is forgiving and flavorful.

• The lemon curd filling is all about balance—tangy but smooth.

• The meringue? A great introduction to whipping egg whites without stress.

Whether you’ve taken a class with us in Paris, or followed along from your home kitchen, this one’s for you.

And if you’re dreaming of perfecting this dessert in person, come bake it with us in our French Desserts Class in Paris. We’ll be here, aprons on, whisks ready, and always up for a celebration.

Lemon Meringue Tarte

Comforting, zesty, and light, lemon meringue tart is the ultimate dessert. Its crisp pastry shell, silky-smooth lemon curd, and airy toasted meringue create a perfect harmony of textures and bright citrus flavor.

Servings 10 Servings

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl, Whisk, Tarte Ring, Fork, Strainer, Saucepan, Immersion Mixer, Piping Bag, Stand Up Mixer

Ingredients

Dough

• 250 Grams 8.8 oz Flour
• 100 Grams 3.5 oz Butter
• 100 Grams 3.5 oz Confectioner's Sugar (Icing Sugar)
• 1 Egg

Lemon Cream

• 250 Grams 8.8 oz Lemon Juice (fresh or store bought)
• 200 Grams 7.1 oz Sugar
• 40 Grams 1.4 oz Egg Yolks
• 200 Grams 7.1 oz Eggs
• 24 Grams 0.9 oz Cornstarch
• 200 Grams 7.1 oz Butter

Italian Meringue

• 75 Grams 2.7 oz Egg Whites
• 150 Grams 5.3 oz Sugar
• 50 Grams 1.8 oz Water

Instructions

Tart Dough

• Mix the powders together.
• Add the butter and crumble until a 'sandy' consistency.
• Add the egg and mix until the dough comes together.
• Roll out the dough to roughly 2 fingers wider than your tarte ring. A good thickness is about 2-3 mm thick.
• Line your tarte ring and refrigerate until cold.
• Poke holes with a fork in the bottom of the dough. This helps the dough stay flat during cooking.
• Bake at 160°C (320°F) for roughly 15 minutes or until the dough is golden. Once the tarte shells have cooled, rub them over a fine strainer to sand off the uneven edges. If you are filling your tarts but not eating them immediately, brush the cooked shells with melted chocolate (dark, milk, or white). This forms a barrier and keeps the dough from getting soggy.

Lemon Cream

• Mix 100g of the sugar with the yolks and eggs. Whisk until lighter in color. Add the cornstarch little by little and whisk until combined.
• Heat the lemon juice with the remaining 100g. Once it has boiled, pour some of the lemon juice and sugar over the sugar/eggs/yolks/cornstarch and mix well. Pour everything back in the pot and boil for 3-5 minutes, always stirring.
• Pour into a bowl and use an immersion mixer to add the butter little by little. Mix until the color has changed to pastel and you have a smooth emulsion. This is usually around 5-10 minutes. It's best to fill tarts with this cream when it is still warm, but it can also be filmed and kept in the refrigerator. This is a nice filling for macarons or can be used to fill domes for a petit four. This cream freezes well.

Italian Meringue

• Cook the sugar and water. At 110°C (230°F) begin whipping the whites at high speed. Once the sugar & water reach a temperature of 118° C (245°F) pour the sugar syrup over the whipping egg whites. Whip until the whites are shiny and the mixing bowl is cool to the touch.
• Pipe out once cool.

To Assemble

• Fill the tart shells with lemon cream and smooth them out.
• Pipe the Italian meringue into the desired shape (domes, spirals, or rose petal formation, etc) on top of the tarts and freeze.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) and cook for 5 minutes until the meringue is lightly colored. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Cook’n With Class – French Cooking Classes in Paris in English since 2007!