3 Tarts You Can Make This Spring

Spring is the perfect time to enjoy fresh, seasonal fruits and light, flavorful desserts. Tarts are versatile, visually appealing, and can be made with a variety of ingredients to highlight spring’s best produce. Here are three tart recipes you can make this season, each offering a unique taste and texture experience.

1. Lemon Meringue Tart

A classic spring dessert, lemon meringue tart combines a crisp pastry base, tangy lemon filling, and fluffy toasted meringue.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 100 g cold butter, cubed
• 2–3 tbsp cold water
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Method

1. Make the pastry by rubbing butter into flour until crumbly, then add cold water to form a dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Roll out the dough and line a tart tin. Bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes until golden.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest, then pour into the baked tart shell. Bake for 20 minutes until set.
4. For the meringue, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form, add sugar gradually, then spread over the tart and toast with a blowtorch or under a hot grill.

2. Strawberry and Cream Tart

This tart celebrates the sweetness of spring strawberries paired with a smooth cream filling.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 100 g cold butter, cubed
• 2–3 tbsp cold water
• 250 g fresh strawberries, sliced
• 250 g cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Prepare a sweet pastry shell as above and blind-bake for 15 minutes.
2. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread evenly in the cooled tart shell.
3. Arrange sliced strawberries on top in an appealing pattern. Chill before serving.

3. Asparagus and Goat Cheese Savory Tart

Not all tarts need to be sweet. This savory option highlights tender spring asparagus with creamy goat cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry or shortcrust pastry
• 200 g goat cheese
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Roll out the pastry and line a tart pan. Prick the base with a fork.
2. Whisk eggs and cream, season with salt and pepper. Spread goat cheese on the base, then pour over the egg mixture.
3. Arrange asparagus spears on top and bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes until set and golden.

Tips for Perfect Spring Tarts

• Use the freshest seasonal produce for best flavor.
• Blind-bake pastry shells to prevent soggy bottoms.
• Chill sweet tarts before serving for clean slices.
• Experiment with herbs and spices to enhance savory tarts.

Spring tarts offer a way to enjoy fresh seasonal ingredients in both sweet and savory forms. Lemon meringue, strawberry and cream, and asparagus and goat cheese tarts each bring vibrant colors and flavors to the table. With simple techniques and fresh ingredients, you can create stunning tarts that capture the essence of spring.