Lemon Tart with Chamomile Crust

Evoke springtime with this easy lemon tart recipe made with a chamomile tea pastry crust and a dusting of chamomile-infused powdered sugar. It's simple to make and bursting with zingy lemon against the fragrant subtle chamomile notes.

Commissioned recipe.

Lemon Tart with Chamomile

I love the beginning of spring, when the days grow long. As the daffodils burst from beneath the thawing soil, I want to switch from stew to salad, from heavy spiced foods to zingy bright lemon.

This classic lemon tart (tarte au citron) is rich, flavourful and full of zing. To highlight the sweet/sharp lemon filling, I've added some chamomile tea buds to the pastry. They add lovely floral notes that work beautifully with the lemon.

To further enhance the subtle taste of the fragrant chamomile, I've made a quick and simple chamomile-infused powdered sugar to dust the top with. Simply whiz a few tablespoons of granulated sugar in the blender with chamomile for a flowery scented sugar.

How to make homemade pastry

Don't be put off by making your own pastry. I promise that it's really easy. With just a few store-cupboard ingredients and a few minutes, you can quickly and easily make your own.

You will need: 
Plain flour
Sugar
Salt
Cold butter
Egg yolk
Cold water
Chamomile tea (bags or buds)

You can easily make it by hand by rubbing the cold butter into the flour and then mixing in the yolk that has been stirred into the water.

However, my preferred method is by using a food processor. I like that I can just add all the ingredients and whiz until it comes together. No sticky fingers! The advantage of using a food processor is that your hands don't warm the butter too much. With pastry making, you want to keep things cold.

Another great part about making your own flaky, buttery homemade pastry is that you can add flavours, like this chamomile. I also like to add cinnamon, chai spices and I even make vegetable pastry for desserts, like beetroot pastry.

We Are Tea

I infused the shortcrust pastry for this recipe with Chamomile tea from We Are Tea. I've long been a fan of this tea company. Not only are their teas first class, but they are an ethical company with a great ethos. At the heart of We Are Tea is their Ethical Tea Partnership. They say, “Facilitating strategic sustainability projects, rigorous health and safety standards and increasing farmer’s resilience to climate change, this partnership makes us who we are.” 

What are the health benefits of chamomile tea?

- naturally caffeine free
- calming
- sleep-inducing properties
- relaxes muscles
- soothes anxiety

Why choose We Are Tea's chamomile infusion tea?
Our whole chamomile flower tea comes from the Egyptian plains and we use just the head to deliver the best tasting brew. These delicate chamomile flower heads are easily damaged as they are hand-picked, packed, transported etc. which inevitably leads to some dust. To minimise this, we recommend you treat your chamomile tea gently.

Did you know that “chamomile” derives from Latin and Greek and is less common than the French-derived “camomile”.

How to make the perfect cup of chamomile tea

Step 1: Use one whole leaf tea bag per cup or 1 tsp of loose buds in a stainer.

Step 2: Use freshly drawn boiled water. All herbal infusions can take full heat!

Step 3: Decide whether you want to leave your bag in and add ginger, lemon, or honey for a chamomile twist

Baking with tea

I love baking with tea. The rich aromas and flavours are perfect to add depth to all manner of desserts.

Check out my rooibos millionaire shortbread, chamomile cake with salted honey buttercream, or beet chocolate truffles with smoky lapsang souchong tea.

How to make Chamomile Lemon Tart

1: crush the chamomile tea in a mortar and pestle

2: rub the butter into the flour until it forms crumbs, then add the yolk/water and mix with a knife until it comes together. Roll out on a lightly floured surface.

3: Line the pastry tin with the pastry, chill for 30 minutes, then line with baking paper and baking beans (or uncooked rice) and blind bake.

4: Whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth, mix in the cream then the lemon zest and juice. Pour into the pastry case and bake until just set.

Disclosure: This chamomile lemon tart recipe was commissioned by We Are Tea. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to write this UK food blog.

Get the recipe

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #veggiedesserts.

Lemon Tart Recipe with Chamomile Pastry and Chamomile Infused Powdered Sugar

This zingy lemon tart (tarte au citron) has a subtly floral chamomile-infused pastry crust and a dusting of chamomile powdered sugar. 

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Chilling: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 10

375 kcal

Author: Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Ingredients

For the chamomile pastry

• 170 g plain flour (all purpose), plus extra for dusting
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp chamomile tea leaves crushed in a mortar and pestle until fine
• 1 pinch of salt
• 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 6 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 225 g caster sugar
• 225 ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 3 unwaxed lemons zest and juice

For the chamomile-infused powdered sugar

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp chamomile tea

UK Measures - <>

Instructions

To make the chamomile pastry by hand

• Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl and stir in the crushed chamomile leaves. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• In a separate bowl or cup, mix the egg yolk and water, then add to the butter mixture. Mix with a butter knife until it forms a loose dough (add a little cold water sparingly, if required), then knead until smooth.

To make the chamomile pastry in a food processor

• Alternatively, make in a food processor: add the flour, sugar, salt, crushed chamomile tea leaves and butter to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until it forms small crumbs. Mix the yolk and water and add to the food processor. Whiz until it all comes together in a ball.

For both methods

• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 3mm/ ⅛ inches thick and use it to line the prepared pie pan. Place in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Place the pie tin onto a baking tray. Line the base of the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice), then bake, on the the tray, for 15 minutes. 
• Remove the baking beans and parchment, then cook for another 5 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven and leave to one side.

  Reduce the oven to 160C/320F.

For the filling

• In a bowl, mix the whole eggs and extra egg yolk with the sugar until smooth, then stir in the cream. Add lemon zest and juice and gently mix - the filling will thicken.
• Pour the filling into the pastry case and carefully transfer the pie tin on the tray to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until nearly set, but the centre is still a bit wobbly. Don’t overfill as the pastry could shrink a bit.
  Allow to cool completely. 
  

For the chamomile-infused powdered sugar

• Whiz the granulated sugar and chamomile tea in a blender until it turns into a fine powder. 
  Dust onto the completely cooled lemon tart.

Recipe Tips

Tip: pour half of the filling into the pastry case, transfer the rest of the filling to a jug and finish filling the case when it’s in the oven, to avoid spilling.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 375kcal Carbohydrates: 44g Protein: 6g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 189mg Sodium: 120mg Potassium: 116mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 28g Vitamin A: 780IU Vitamin C: 17.3mg Calcium: 47mg Iron: 1.5mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts!

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.