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key lime tarts

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Lynnda Cloutier
Mission Viejo, CA

This recipe calls for key limes to be zested. if you don’t have a zester at home, you can use the smallest hole of a regular box grater or work with a kitchen peeler to slice the zest into very thing strips.

(1 rating)

Ingredients For key lime tarts

  • 1 lb. key limes, zested and juice, making about 1 cup juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 almond tart dough, recipe follows
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup condensed milk
  • six 4 x 2 inch rectangle tart pans
  • parchment paper
  • pie weights or dried beans

How To Make key lime tarts

  • 1
    Using a zester, grate lime peels (green part only),s topping before you get to the bitter white cottony pith. Cut zested limes in half and juice them, setting them aside for later use.
  • 2
    Fill small pan with water and add lime zest. Bring to a boil, then drain using a fine sieve. Repeat this step two more times to get rid of any remaining bitterness of the lime zest.
  • 3
    Put 1/2 cup of water, sugar and lime zest in pan and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes til liquid turns into thick syrup.
  • 4
    Remove pan from heat and set aside til it cools to room temperature. Working on well floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
  • 5
    Cut six 6 inch x 4 inch rectangles out of dough and put them in the pans, using your fingers to gently press dough into bottom and up sides. Using a fork, make several holes in dough. Trim excess edges of dough, roll into ball, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for future use.
  • 6
    Cover pans with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Put six 8 inch x 6 inch rectangles of parchment paper over dough. Weight down paper with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights or beans and parchment paper, brush dough with egg and bake for another 3 minutes. Remove plate from oven and place on wire rack til it reaches room temperature.
  • 7
    Reduce oven temperature to 350. Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix together egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and reserved lime juice using a whisk. Pour lime juice mixture into crusts and bake for another 20 minutes.
  • 8
    Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Decorate top of each tart with 1 tablespoon of the lime zest and 1 Tbsp. of the syrup. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. The tarts can be refrigerated for up to two days after preparation.
  • 9
    Almond Tart Dough 2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, 8 oz 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely ground 1 egg 2 Tbsp. cold water 1/2 tsp. salt 2 cups flour Put butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in food processor fitted with metal blade. On pulse setting mix for 2 minutes Add almonds and remaining powdered sugar and pulse for another 2 minutes, til mixture is smooth. Add egg, water, salt and half the flour. Pulse for another two minutes til mixture forms dough. Add remaining flour and pulse for another minute, til ball of dough is formed. Remove ball of dough from food processor, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least an hour before using. To make a chocolate crust, add one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder when you add the almonds and remaining powdered sugar. This dough stores in the freezer, well wrapped for up to two months, and thawed in the refrigerator.

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