When life gives you Meyer lemons, you need an easy lemon tart recipe! One bite of this luscious, tangy Meyer Lemon Tart with its crisp, crunchy gingersnap crust will have your taste buds singing the Hallelujah chorus and wanting more.
12 Days of Easy Christmas Recipes:
On the twelfth day of Christmas, instead of “twelve-drummers-drumming,” I’m bringing you this delicious recipe for Meyer Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust as the last of my special 12 Days of Easy Christmas Recipes!
Not too sweet, and not too tart, Meyer Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust is an easy lemon tart recipe. It would be a luscious, sweet ending to your Christmas dinner or any holiday meal.
Some good friends of ours, Mary and Rick, brought us some wonderful Meyer lemons and I couldn’t wait to use them in one of my blog recipes. Meyer lemons are a cross between a regular lemon and a Mandarin orange. The ones I had were so large and juicy; I was able to get a full pint of juice from only three lemons!
What’s the difference in Meyer lemons and regular lemons?
Meyer lemon juice is a little sweeter and is a little less acidic than regular lemons and also makes wonderful lemonade. You can use Meyer Lemons as a substitute for regular lemons in any recipe and they also are great made into preserved lemons. In fact, if you have a supply of preserved lemons, you could use this instead of the lemon zest to ramp up the flavor.
Meyer Lemon Recipes:
If you love Meyer lemons like I do, or have an abundance of this delicious citrus this year, I know you will also love these easy Meyer lemon recipes: Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars, Easy No-Cook Meyer Lemon Ice Cream, and Luscious Lemon Swirl Cheesecake.
How to make Meyer Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust:
To get started making this lemon tart gather your ingredients which include: Meyer lemons, (you can substitute regular lemons if you can’t find Meyer lemons) gingersnap cookies, butter, sugar, cornstarch, eggs, and cold butter. You will also need a 10-inch tart pan or springform pan.
First, zest one lemon and then juice lemons. Set aside.
Next, you will need to prepare your gingersnap crust. Simply add a 12 oz box of gingersnap cookies to your food processor, and pulse until the cookies are fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse a few times until the butter and cookie crumbs are well mixed.
Pour the crumb mixture into your tart pan and using your fingers, firmly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your pan to form a crust.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 9-10 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. Cool, at least 30 minutes before adding the Meyer lemon filling.
Meanwhile, prepare the lemon filling by adding sugar and cornstarch to a large saucepan. Add three eggs, three egg yolks, and the Meyer lemon juice and whisk well.
Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat and be sure to whisk constantly. If you don’t, you could end up with brown bits in your lemon curd. Boil for 1-1 1/2 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon zest and butter. Continue whisking until the butter is dissolved and the filling is well mixed.
Pour the lemon filling into a small bowl and place into a larger bowl of ice. Let stand 15 minutes.
Spread the Meyer lemon filling evenly over the cooled gingersnap crust. Cover the tart with plastic wrap and press down lightly on the filling to prevent a film from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
This filling was so delicious; I ended up scrapping my mixing bowl clean and eating all of the leftover filling, which is something I usually leave up to my husband who loves all cake batter, cookie dough, pie fillings, etc. left in mixing bowls after making a dessert.
Voila! Doesn’t this look divine?
*This recipe was originally published December 23, 2016. It was republished on December 12, 2018, with updated images and text.
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Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust Recipe
Equipment
- 9 or 10 inch tart pan or springform pan
- food processor fitted with a steel blade
- saucepan
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 12 ounces gingersnap cookies
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
Meyer Lemon Filling
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 eggs large or extra-large
- 3 egg yolks large or extra-large
- ⅔ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
- ½ cup butter cold, cut into small cubes
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour the gingersnap cookies into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until the cookies are fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until well mixed.
- Pour the cookie mixture into a 9 or 10 inch tart pan and spread out evenly. Using your fingers, press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of your pan to make the crust.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack and let cool for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Lemon Filling
- Zest and juice the lemons.
- Add sugar, cornstarch, eggs, egg yolks and Meyer lemon juice to a heavy sauce pan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly for 1-1 1/2 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove pan from heat and add lemon zest and butter. Whisk constantly until the butter is melted and everything is well combined.
- Pour the lemon filling into a small bowl and place this bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice. Cool for about 15 minutes.
- Pour the cooled mixture into the cooled gingersnap crust. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before putting in the refrigerator, press the plastic wrap lightly onto the filling to keep a film from forming.
- To serve, remove from the tart pan. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Looks delicious!
Looks awesome. Friends just gave me some Meyer lemons too. Will have to try this soon.
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!
Ahhhh, perfection! My hubby loves lemon desserts, and this will be perfect for his birthday/anniversary/I’m sorry gift (sometimes we all get sassy, right?;)). Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks so much! It’s my husband’s favorite too!