You’ve probably seen these Mini Lemon Flower Tarts all over social media. I jazz them up by adding colorful twists to my homemade cookie dough. Those springtime colors give these treats an extra pop! They’re not just adorable—they’re delicious, all thanks to that sweet, tangy lemon curd filling paired with the sugar cookie. Plus, they’re super easy to make!
This recipe is ideal for any special occasion, whether Easter, spring dinners, or birthdays! Not only are they simple to make, but they also feature an impressive presentation that will delight all your friends and family.
I’m always perusing my Explorer page on Instagram, checking out all the cool ideas and projects floating around. So, when I spotted these adorable lemon tartlets, I couldn’t resist giving them my little twist. After mulling it over for a couple of days, I decided to jazz up the cookie dough with some dye. The results are fun and perfect for spring or Easter!
Mini Lemon Flower Tarts
These little treats aren’t just adorable. They’re seriously delicious! The sugar cookie base strikes the perfect balance—it’s not overly sweet and pairs wonderfully with the tangy sweetness of the homemade lemon curd.
I’m a huge fan of anything with lemon curd.
For an extra touch of indulgence and creaminess, you can even add a dollop of whipped cream on top. It takes these treats to a whole new level!
Sure, making everything from scratch yields the best results, but I get it—life gets busy! I’ve included a few shortcuts in the recipe for those hectic days.
A Few Recipe Shortcuts
- Store-Bought Cookie Dough: Use store-bought sugar cookie dough for a quick shortcut. It saves time without compromising flavor.
- Store-Bought Lemon Curd: To save time and effort without sacrificing taste, opt for pre-made lemon curd from the store.
- Pre-Made Tart Shells: Use pre-made tart shells instead of shaping the dough for convenience and uniformity.
- Ready-Made Whipped Cream: For a quick and easy finish, top your lemon tarts with ready-made whipped cream.
- Store-Bought Lemon Juice: Store-bought lemon juice is a handy shortcut for making lemon curd or filling if fresh lemons aren’t available.
Ingredients for These Lemon Tartlets
Sugar Cookie Cup
- Unsalted Butter:
The unsalted butter adds richness and flavor to the cookie shell, resulting in a tender, buttery texture. - Granulated Sugar:
Granulated sugar sweetens the cookie shell and helps create a crisp outer layer while maintaining a soft interior. - Egg:
The egg binds the ingredients together, providing structure to the cookie shell while contributing to its moistness. - Flour:
Flour serves as the base ingredient, giving structure and stability to the cookie shell. - Vanilla Extract:
Vanilla extract enhances the flavor profile of the cookie shell, adding a subtle, aromatic sweetness. - Salt:
Salt enhances the flavor by balancing the sweetness and improving the taste of the other ingredients in the cookie shell.
Lemon Curd
- Butter:
Butter enriches the lemon curd, providing a creamy texture and a rich, buttery flavor. - Sugar:
Sugar sweetens the lemon curd, balancing the tartness of the lemon juice and enhancing its overall flavor. - Eggs:
Eggs are a thickening agent in the lemon curd, giving it a smooth and silky consistency while providing structure. - Lemon Juice:
Lemon juice is the star ingredient, providing the tart and tangy flavor that defines lemon curd. - Lemon Zest:
Lemon zest adds a punch of citrus flavor and aroma to the lemon curd, intensifying its lemony profile and providing a hint of freshness.
Mini Lemon Flower Tarts
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 1 cup unsalted butter Use cold butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- lemon zest from 2 lemons
Sugar Cookie
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- 2½ cups flour
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Get all your ingredients ready.
- Thoroughly whisk eggs in a bowl.
- Add whisked eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest to a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk ingredients thoroughly. Next, add the cubes of butter to the egg mixture. Note that the butter will melt in the next couple of minutes of cooking.
- Turn on the burner to the lowest heat setting. Next, place water in the bottom of a double boiler.
- Place the saucepan on the double boiler and constantly stir with a rubber spatula. The heat should be at the lowest setting. Make sure not to boil the curd, or it will split, and you'll have scrambled egg bits.Stir with a spatula for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, increase the heat to a low-medium flame. Stir constantly. In the last five minutes, the curd will go from liquid yellow to an opaque and creamy color and thicken up quite nicely.
- Once it thickens, remove it from the stovetop and immediately transfer the cooked curd to a bowl. Make sure to keep stirring for a couple of minutes as it cools. If you get bits of scrambled egg, strain the curd or pluck out the bits of egg. The scrambled egg won't doesn't affect the flavor but is an aesthetic choice.
- This recipe makes 2 cups of lemon curd. Pour into a clean jar and place in the fridge once cooled. The lemon curd should last 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Sugar Cookies
- Preheat Oven to 350°
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about one minute at low speed.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Mix flour and salt in a separate bowl.
- With your mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add flour mixture to the butter. Mix for 30 seconds until the dough is thoroughly incorporated.
- Divide dough into parts for coloring. Add food dye to each batch. Place each between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Roll out each set of dough. I rolled mine out to a 6 mm thickness, but it is whatever thickness you prefer.
- Transport each cookie dough to the mini muffin pan.
- Gently place flower-shaped cookie dough into the muffin tin. I moved each petal gently and pushed them down into the muffin space. Once the cookie dough is at the bottom of the tin, gently pat down the edges of the flower petals onto the top of the muffin tin.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Make sure to watch so that the edges don't burn.
- Allow the cookies to cool thoroughly before gently pulling them out of the muffin tin. They will tend to break, so be careful when pulling them out.
Assembling Lemon Tarts
- Fill a pastry bag with lemon curd, ensuring the opening is about ¼ inch wide. Alternatively, you can use a plastic baggie, cutting an ¼ inch hole at one corner for piping the lemon curd.
- Pipe the lemon curd in the middle of the tart. Fill the tart to your desired level.
- Serve the lemon tarts immediately. The lemon curd will make the cookies soggy, so prepare them before serving.
Nutrition
Helpful Supplies For These Lemon Tarts
H
Other Lemon Desserts!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use puff pastry. Before baking, you’ll have to use a fork and prick the bottom of the flower, which will prevent the pastry dough from ballooning.
I saw people punch the dough into the muffin tin with a wooden handle. I tried this, but the cookie dough ended up breaking. I guess homemade sugar cookie dough isn’t as tough as the store-bought. I gently collapsed the cookie into the tin.
Yes! Store them in an air-tight container for a few days. When you want to serve them, fill them with lemon curd so that they are fresh. The lemon curd makes the cookies soggy, and the cookie dough will fall apart. So, build your lemon tart right before serving.
Even though the lemon curd recipe calls for lemon juice and zest, I highly recommend adding both. This recipe is so lemony, and you’ll love it!
You totally can! I have tried Trader Joe’s and Bon Maman lemon curd, but they don’t even compare to my recipe! So, if you have the time, I highly recommend making my recipe!
I’m thrilled you stopped by to check out these mini lemon flower tarts! Thanks for visiting, and be sure to subscribe to my blog so you never miss any of the content I publish every week.
Happy Spring and Happy Baking!
Photo Credits: MyPhotography.com
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