Key Lime Curd Tartlets Recipes

KEY LIME PIE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 12 cups of a nonstick mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
• For the crust: Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the sugar and salt and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the butter and process until the mixture resembles damp sand. Divide the mixture evenly among 12 cups of the prepared muffin tin (about 1 1/2 tablespoons for each cup) and use a shot glass or your fingers to press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Bake until browned and firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the filling. (If the crusts fell during baking, you can reform them while they are still hot with a lightly greased shot glass or the back of a lightly greased small spoon.)
• For the filling: Beat together the yolks and lime zest in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until the yolks have lightened in color and thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Add the condensed milk and lime juice and beat until combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the tartlet crusts in the muffin pan, filling just below the top of each crust. Bake just until the filling has set, about 6 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Remove tarts from the pan (a small offset spatula works well here) and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Just before serving, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Dollop the whipped cream on top of the tartlets and sprinkle with the lime zest.

BLUEBERRY TARTLETS WITH LIME CURD

Steps:

• For curd:
• Whisk sugar and lime juice in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in yolks, then butter. Cook over medium-low heat until thick, smooth, and just beginning to bubble, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in lime peel. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons cream and egg yolk. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Shape dough into log. Cut crosswise into 8 equal rounds. Press each round over bottom and up sides of 3 3/4x3/4-inch tartlet pan with removable bottom. Pierce crusts with fork. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• For topping:
• Place 1/2 cup berries and sugar in heavy small saucepan. Using fork, mash berries coarsely. Cook mixture over medium heat until beginning to simmer, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Using rubber spatula, push as much of mixture as possible through strainer set over medium bowl. Mix remaining blueberries into strained berries. Set topping aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake tartlet crusts until lightly golden, pressing any bubbles with back of fork, about 15 minutes. Cool crusts completely on rack.
• Spread curd in crusts. Spoon blueberry topping over. (Can be prepared ahead. Let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours or refrigerate up to 1 day.)

FRESH LIME CURD

Steps:

• Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in the top of a double boiler; stir over medium-high heat until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the eggs and stir to blend.
• Reduce heat to medium until water simmers. Slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Cook over the double boiler until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon into a clean, glass jar. Cover and refrigerate.

KEY LIME TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process graham crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form; add butter. Process until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; pat into bottom and up sides. Place pan on a baking sheet, and bake until crust is fragrant and slightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice, egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt; whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into crust (warm or cool is fine), leaving 1/8 inch at the top; return to oven. Bake until filling is set around edge but still slightly loose in center, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool completely at room temperature; then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Serve, garnished with zest, if desired.

LIME CURD TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
• Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Remove the zest of 4 limes with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add-- the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lime curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Fill the tart shell with warm lime curd and allow to set at room temperature. Once set, serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

LIME CURD TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm. (Note: I prepared my pan with a little baking spray, just to be sure it wouldn't stick.).
• Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Remove the zest of 4 limes with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add-- the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lime curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Fill the tart shell with lime curd and allow to set at room temperature. Once set, serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

KEY LIME MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• For Key lime curd:
• Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, lime juice, lemon juice, and coarse salt in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over medium saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until curd thickens slightly and instant-read thermometer inserted into curd registers 140°F for 3 minutes, 5 to 6 minutes total (do not allow to boil). Remove bowl from over water. Gradually whisk butter into curd a few cubes at a time until smooth, allowing butter cubes to melt before adding more. Strain curd through fine sieve set over small bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and chill overnight. DO AHEAD: Lime curd can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Add flour and salt and beat just until blended. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 11- to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch, then fold overhang in, forming double-thick sides extending 1/4 inch above sides of pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze crust 20 minutes.
• Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake until crust is golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Cool crust completely in pan on rack. Spread curd evenly in baked crust. Chill while making meringue.
• For meringue:
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until meringue is very thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and coarse kosher salt.
• Spoon meringue in dollops atop curd, then spread and swirl decoratively with table knife. Using kitchen torch, brown meringue in spots, creating white and golden peaks and valleys. Chill uncovered at least 1 hour before serving. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
• Remove sides from tart pan. Place tart on platter and serve.

LIME CURD PUFF PASTRY CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425*F
• If puff pastry sheets are frozen, allow to thaw so you can unfold the sheets.
• Make Lime Curd if you have not done so already.
• Once puff pastry sheets are malleable, unfold puff pastry sheets.
• Cut each sheet at the crease marks to create 3 long strips per sheet. Then cut three strips across to create 9 squares. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for second sheet of puff pastry.
• Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.
• Place one square of puff pastry in easy muffin cup. Gently press down to create a cup.
• Place a Tablespoon of Lime Curd in the center of each puff pastry cup.
• If you do not want the meringue topping, skip down to step #16
• Pour egg whites in a new VERY CLEAN bowl.
• Whip egg whites until big, glossy and smooth.
• Add cream of tartar and whip for 30 seconds more.
• While whipping, slowly add sugar about a Tablespoon at a time all sugar has been added.
• Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Scoop whipped Meringue on top of lime curd.
• Bake for 10 Minutes or until puff pastry sheets are puffed and golden and meringue is golden on the peaks.
• Remove from oven. Allow to cool then remove from muffin tin.
• Sprinkle any cups without meringue with powdered sugar.
• Devour! Store extras in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

KEY LIME CURD TARTLETS

Steps:

• Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 12 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Stir in lime rind. Pour carefully through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Cover mixture, and refrigerate 4-6 hours.
• Pulse flours, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor until combined. Add 1 cup butter and the shortening, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition. Remove dough, and wrap in plastic wrap; chill at least 2 hours.
• Shape dough into 34 (1-inch) balls, and press balls into lightly greased miniature tart pans. Prick with a fork.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 13 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans, let cool on wire racks.
• Spoon 1-2 teaspoons lime curd into each tart shell; top with strawberry slices.
• You can substitute mini muffin pans for mini tart pans.