Lemon Confectioner's Custard
This recipe is for a confectioner's custard with a difference: it's a little less sweet than the classic confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) and has double lemon flavour, using both zest and juice, for plenty of tangy lemon taste.
It's the perfect filling for lemon tarts, of course, but also verrines, profiteroles, eclairs, etc.
It's the perfect filling for lemon tarts, of course, but also verrines, profiteroles, eclairs, etc.
224 K 3.9/5 (51 reviews)
25 min.
Easy
2.15 €
350 g
6 IngredientsLast modified on: May 9th 2018
For 350 g, you will need:
- 1
250 ml milk - 2
1 lemon - 3
½ vanilla pod - 4
3 egg yolks - 5
30 g caster sugar - 6
20 g cornflour - Total weight: 495 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 9 min.
Cooking: 15 min.
All in all: 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stage 2 - ⌛ 1 min.
...and add ½ vanilla pod. Mix well.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 7 min.
Bring to the boil on medium heat.
As soon as the milk comes to the boil, take off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
As soon as the milk comes to the boil, take off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 3 min.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 1 min.
Pour the milk, while it is still hot, onto the egg yolks through a sieve to remove the lemon zest (which has a rather unpleasant texture in the mouth). Stir to mix thoroughly.
Stage 6 - ⌛ 7 min.
Pour the mixture back into the pan, put on low heat and leave to thicken while beating continuously.
Stage 7 - ⌛ 2 min.
Once the custard has thickened, leave to cook for 10 minutes uncovered, then add the lemon juice and beat in rapidly with the whisk.
Your lemon confectioner's custard is ready.
Your lemon confectioner's custard is ready.
Stage 8
If you want to cool the custard quickly, even very quickly, do it like the professionals. See how in this video.
Remarks
To make a lime version of this custard, simply use a lime instead of the lemon.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Based on recipe by Gaston Lenôtre.
How much will it cost?
- For 350 g : 2.20 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 6
Mini lemon millefeuilles
These dainty and delicious mini millefeuilles have layers of puff pastry filled with lemon confectioner's custard (pastry cream). They are a bit tricky because they are quite fragile and do not keep well once assembled. But freshly made, they are a true delight.
56 K 2 hours 25 min.
Lemon and lime custard tart
This is a delicious version of the classic French baker's "flan", with the twin flavours of lemon and lime. It involves two different confectioner's custards poured one on top of the other. This gives an attractive layered effect when the tart is cut. Not just pretty, it is delicious.
82 K 3 hours 15 min.
Ramekins with almonds, apples and lemon
A small individual dessert in a ramekin with 3 layers: almond cream, caramelized apples and lemon custard.
28 K 45 min.
Strawberry feuilleté
This elegant French dessert is not quite a tart. The base is a circle of puff pastry baked and caramelized, then topped when cold with a thin layer of lime-flavoured confectioner's custard and beautiful fresh strawberries.
63 K3.8 45 min.
Lemon Meringue Pie Verrines
This is a new twist on the classic lemon meringue pie. All the elements are there: sweet crunchy bits, meringue and lemon custard, but presented in layers in a glass.
75 K5 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Milk
Like these other recipes: Choux pastry (pâte à choux), Chocolate rolls (petits pains), Liège waffles, Pancake batter, Nantes Tourton, ... See them all 65
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Apple Strudel, Chaud-froid of grapefruit, pineapple and lime custard , Jelly-style plum jam, Almond mug cake for Mary, Caramelized apple and walnut cake, ... See them all 373
Cornflour
Like these other recipes: Eggs meurette, Du Barry soup, Apple custard tart, Upside-down Parmentier, Clementine confectioner's custard, ... See them all 33
Egg yolk
Like these other recipes: Hazelnut and orange cake, Fresh mint ice-cream, Pistachio confectioner's custard, Asparagus "en petit pois", Blanquette of veal, ... See them all 76
Other recipes you may also like
Exotic fruit tart
An exotic fruit tart (bananas, kiwi and pineapple), with crisp pastry and almond cream which are cooked beforehand. It's a rather simple recipe, but the final result will impress your guests. May 27th 2020340 K5 2 hours 25 min.
Four quarters
It's "the simpliest cake in the world", called four quarters, because it's made with 1/4 eggs, 1/4 sugar, 1/4 flour and 1/4 butter. February 21th 2011336 K3.7 1 hour 15 min.
Leavened bread
It might be harder to achieve good results than with traditional yeast bread, but what a flavour! It also keeps better. This recipe is designed for baking bread in a wood-fired oven but, of course, you can use the conventional oven in your kitchen. May 23th 20171.24 M 23.8 6 hours 30 min.
Preserved tomatoes
Softer than dried tomatoes, they can be used as a kind of chutney in pasta dishes for instance, or simply served to accompany an aperitif. February 21th 2011360 K4.8 5 hours 6 min.
You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar
You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar for too long without beating them, because this contact "cooks" egg yolks and you will get small lumps of hard egg in your mixture. February 21th 2011140 K5
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-03-08)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.