Strawberry Honey Custard Lemon Curd (Printer-friendly)
Buttery tart shells layered with honey custard, lemon curd, and fresh strawberries for a stunning summer dessert.
# What you'll 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
# Method:
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 if needed.
02 - Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out chilled dough and press into six 4-inch tart pans. Prick bottoms with fork. Line with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake for 12 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then bake 8-10 minutes longer until golden brown. Cool completely.
04 - Heat milk, cream, and honey in a saucepan until just simmering. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt in a bowl.
05 - Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (3-4 minutes). Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching surface, and cool to room temperature.
06 - Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened (5-7 minutes) without boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap touching surface and refrigerate until set.
07 - Spoon cooled honey custard into tart shells, smoothing tops. Spread layer of lemon curd over custard. Arrange fresh strawberry slices on top. Garnish with mint leaves if desired. Serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The honey custard brings this subtle floral sweetness that makes everything feel elegant without being fussy
- Layering lemon curd against the creamy custard creates this perfect sweet tart dance that keeps people guessing
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients will make your life so much easier especially when you are whisking eggs into hot milk
- If your custard gets even slightly lumpy press it through a sieve before cooling and nobody will ever know
03 -
- When zesting your lemons avoid the white pith underneath because it will make your curd bitter
- If you only have standard sized tart pans the recipe works perfectly just adjust the baking time slightly