Lemon Confectioner's Custard


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.
202 K 3.8/5 (48 reviews)
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: May 9th 2018
For 350 g, you will need:

Change these quantities to make:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 9 min.
Cooking: 15 min.
All in all: 25 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
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.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
Pour 250 ml Milk into a saucepan.

Grate the lemon zest into the milk...

Stage 2 - 1 min.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
...and add ½ vanilla pod. Mix well.

Stage 3 - 7 min.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
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.

Stage 4 - 3 min.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
Mix 3 egg yolks and 30 g caster sugar with a soft spatula. Add 20 g cornflour and mix again.

Stage 5 - 1 min.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
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.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
Pour the mixture back into the pan, put on low heat and leave to thicken while beating continuously.

Stage 7 - 2 min.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
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.

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.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe30 RDI=10 %60 RDI=6 %30 RDI=5 %650 RDI=30 %2,720 RDI: 30 %
Per 100 g5 RDI=2 %10 RDI=1 %6 RDI=1 %130 RDI=7 %550 RDI: 7 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, egg
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
Lemon and lime custard tart
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.
68 K 3 hours 15 min.
Mini lemon millefeuilles
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.
43 K 2 hours 25 min.
Ramekins with almonds, apples and lemon
Ramekins with almonds, apples and lemon

A small individual dessert in a ramekin with 3 layers: almond cream, caramelized apples and lemon custard.
15 K 45 min.
Clafoutis "Marie-Antoinette"
Clafoutis "Marie-Antoinette"

This "Marie-Antoinette" clafoutis is a lighter version of the traditional fruit-in-batter baked dessert, almost a soufflé, with apples and lemon. The apples are sautéed in butter and Calvados, then combined with a lemon-flavoured confectioner's custard, lightened with raw meringue. This mixture is...
50 K4.9 1 hour 20 min.
Lemon Meringue Pie Verrines
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.
63 K5 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
Passion fruit jellies
Passion fruit jellies
Usually to make fruit jellies or (fruit "paste"), it's like jam but you need to cook fruit pulp and sugar much longer. Unfortunately, this long cooking is bad for both vitamins and flavour. In this recipe we use a special jam gelling agent, to reduce cooking time as much as possible .
July 4th 2018334 K4 2 hours 30 min.
How to cook pasta properly
How to cook pasta properly
Here is some advice for pasta that's properly cooked and doesn't stick.
July 18th 20191.15 M4.4 25 min.
Rabbit terrine
Rabbit terrine
This is a rather special rabbit terrine, with some of the meat added in larger morsels to the minced mixture before cooking. These whole pieces of rabbit show when the terrine is sliced and add character, both in flavour and texture.
April 8th 2018121 K4.6 15 hours 35 min.
Filet mignon with asparagus
Filet mignon with asparagus
In this recipe, the filet mignon of pork is pan-fried and the pan deglazed with wine, then cream added with chunks of both green and white asparagus.
July 11th 202127 K 1 hour 2 min.
Chocolate tart
Chocolate tart
As you can see, there's very little added sugar in this recipe, so it's a very chocolatey and bitter-sweet tart.
November 16th 2013294 K 15 2 hours 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-05-11)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

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.
I am not a leaving thing
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.

Back to top of page