Strawberry Honey Custard Tarts Lemon Curd (Print Version)
Buttery tart shells with honey custard, lemon curd, and fresh strawberries make a stunning summery dessert.
# What You Need:
→ For the 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
→ For the 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
→ For the 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
→ For Assembly
20 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
21 - Fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
# How-To:
01 - In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 1 tbsp cold water, pulsing until dough begins to come together (add more water if needed). Gather dough, flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough and press into six 4-inch tart pans. Prick bases with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake 12 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, bake 8–10 minutes more until golden. Cool completely.
03 - Heat milk, cream, and honey in a saucepan until just simmering. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolks, then return to saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 3–4 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching surface, cool to room temperature.
04 - Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened (5–7 minutes; do not boil). Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching surface; chill until set.
05 - Spoon honey custard into cooled tart shells, smoothing tops. Add a layer of lemon curd over custard. Arrange strawberry slices on top. Garnish with mint leaves if desired. Serve chilled.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The honey custard brings this delicate floral sweetness that you just cannot get from regular sugar
- Tart lemon curd cuts through the richness like sunshine itself
- These look impressive but come together in phases, so you are never overwhelmed
02 -
- If your custard starts looking grainy or curdled while cooking, immediately whisk it vigorously off the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve
- Lemon curd continues thickening as it cools, so stop cooking when it still looks slightly thinner than you want
- The assembled tarts weep if they sit too long, so add the strawberries no more than two hours before serving
03 -
- Room temperature eggs whisk into much smoother custards and curds, so take them out of the fridge an hour before you start
- A glass measuring cup with a spout makes pouring the custard into tart shells so much easier than using a spoon