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.
195 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
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.
39 K 2 hours 25 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.
59 K5 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.
11 K 45 min.
Strawberry feuilleté
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.
47 K3.8 45 min.
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.
62 K 3 hours 15 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
Clarified butter
Clarified butter
This is a way of melting butter to eliminate all the impurities. The clarified butter can then be heated without spoiling, and is more digestible. It is ideal for cooking at high temperatures where small black specks would spoil the appearance, or for emulsified sauces like béarnaise or mousseline.
June 21th 2017456 K4.2 2 hours 15 min.
Green parsley sauce
Green parsley sauce
This sauce, with a great parsley taste, is perfect with steamed vegetables or fish. At the bottom you will find the coulis version of this recipe.
February 21th 2011511 K 44.3 25 min.
How to prepare a lettuce
How to prepare a lettuce
It is much more economical to buy a whole lettuce than separate leaves in a plastic packet. And it's so simple to prepare - you can see how here.
April 17th 2011397 K4.8 30 min.
Bacon rolls
Bacon rolls
These tasty little rolls are enriched with bacon bits and toasted sesame seeds. The slightly flaky texture comes from lard, folded in like for puff pastry. Served sliced, these make an ideal savoury snack to share with friends over a drink.
October 24th 201761 K4.6 3 hours 40 min.
Crème brulée
Crème brulée
Crème brûlée (burned cream) is quite easy to prepare: it's a simple egg-cream dessert. The only difficulty is in making the delicious crunchy caramel layer on top. The perfect crème brulée (for me) is a cold and soft cream, with on top a nice hot caramel crust. This is a completely new version...
December 31th 20111.65 M 74.3 4 hours 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-11-24)

*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