More Fillings for Tassies

This lemon tassie filling starts on the stovetop, where butter, sugar, and fresh lemon juice melt together before getting tempered into beaten eggs. That slow pour while mixing constantly is key: it keeps the eggs from scrambling and builds a smooth, pudding-like curd.

Once the mixture thickens (about 3 minutes of stirring), lemon zest goes in for an extra punch of citrus aroma that the juice alone can’t deliver. Cooling to room temperature before filling your tassie shells prevents the pastry from going soggy.

Each tartlet only needs a couple teaspoons of filling, so a little batch goes a long way. They bake until the tops turn golden and the filling just barely sets with a gentle wobble in the center.

Kitchen Tips

• Temper slowly: Pour the hot sugar mixture into the eggs in a thin stream. Rushing this step gives you sweet scrambled eggs.
• Watch the thickness: The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you drag your finger through it.
• Cool completely: Filling warm curd into pastry shells creates steam that makes the crust soft. Patience pays off here.

Variations

• Blueberry lemon tassies: Press a single fresh blueberry into each filled tartlet before baking for a fruity burst.
• Lime swap: Replace the lemon juice and zest with lime for a Key lime tassie twist.