lemon tart recipe on a plate image

Lemon Tart Recipe (Tarte au Citron)

One of my favorite parts about living in California is the abundance of citrus. I just love lemons and oranges, and I love that their trees can be found everywhere here. I regularly have fresh squeezed orange juice and lemon juice on hand for beverages and desserts, including this lemon tart, or tarte au citron as the French call it. Unfortunately for the French, they don’t have quite as much access to beautiful and delicious lemons like we Californians do.  While there are some lemons grown in the French Riviera, there aren’t quite as much, and they’re much pricier than the ones we get here in California.

tarte au sucre

Tarte au Sucre

I know some of you are making New Years resolutions to avoid all carbs and/or sugar, but consider this recipe for one of your cheat days. This tarte au sucre is a wonderfully simple and classic afternoon treat many French children grow up eating after a day of school. Like a tarte tropezienne, which is a brioche cake with a custard filling, this tarte au sucre derives much of its sweetness from one particular component in the dish. In a tarte tropezienne, that is the custard filling. In a tarte au sucre, that happens to be the caramelized sugar topping. Unlike an American cake, this tart’s “cake” layer is really just a yeast dough with minimal sweetness. That’s why this tarte can be enjoyed as a sweet snack after school (or mid-workday) rather than a decadent dessert that would usually be enjoyed after a meal. 

galette des rois

Galette des rois aux pommes (King’s cake)

You know what I love about the French? They never stop feasting. Just when everybody here in the States is stocking up on green smoothies and kale salads, the French are out buying frangipane-filled pastry cakes from their local boulangerie. While we’re taking down our Christmas decorations and sulking over the end of the holiday celebrations, the French are preparing for yet another chance to gather together and eat like royalty. This, my friends, is why I love the French so very much. In the spirit of embracing my Francophile tendencies, I’m putting off my salad recipe until later this week. Instead, I share this Galette des rois aux pommes with you.