the french bittersweet touch

I slipped back into my memories of France, when I’d wander with my nose tilted up toward those Haussmannian buildings that made me dream so much.

I remember myself hunting for the best croissant in the city, roaming like a lost soul in search of a boulangerie that could truly satisfy me. I didn’t know it yet, but a few boulangeries later I would stumble into one of my newest obsessions. I never would have believed they could be circular, pale golden, with little white tufts on top, just slightly singed.

Tarte au citron, and that flavour you don’t expect at all.

You spot it in the display case, sitting there between a sumptuous millefeuille and a gleaming chocolate éclair: pastries that promise richness, cream, chocolate. And the real question is: why would you choose a lemon tart? A fruit not exactly famous for its aphrodisiac powers, nor particularly sought after by any woman at certain times of the month. The answer is that if you don’t choose it, you’d be making a mistake. Yes, an absolutely huge mistake.

The base is a sablé crust: it has to smell like butter, and you have to add a little almond flour to make it properly crumbly, otherwise forget cutting a slice that’s actually a neat triangle. And the cream, which looks so innocent, is really where you go all in: you use all the butter you’ve got in the fridge (which is generally a serious amount if you live in France by French standards), lemon juice, and a good pair of arms for stirring generously.

When you bake it, a perforated tart ring actually cooks it better, and halfway through it’s best to pull it out, brush it with egg yolk, and slide it back into the “solarium” for a little longer. And if you finish it with an Italian-style meringue—deserved, slightly tangy, maybe with a lime-and-lemon garnish, that’s when you realise what it is: the meeting point of silkiness, sweetness, and umami.

Exactly like that: a blend of butter and sharpness you don’t forget easily—especially because it’s the kind of thing you’ll end up craving again and again.

Here the recipe I’ve stolen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUBHW9tHfQQ