I’m taking a few weeks off from the blog to spend some time with our little man and learn how to function on 3 hours of sleep and baby giggles. While I’m away, some of my dear friends have offered to share their mad blogging skills here on NeighborFood. Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Nancy of gotta get baked. Nancy is one of my writing heroes, and I always appreciate her sass, honesty, and wit. Take some time to visit her site, and I promise you’ll leave hungry and laughing. I’m sure you’re going to love her and this Lime Tart just as much as I do!
Hello there, NeighborFood readers! I’m Nancy of gotta get baked and the reason I’m here in Courtney’s space today is because she’s taking time off from her blog to take care of her new baby son. I couldn’t be happier for Courtney and her husband, Will. Having met them in person, as well as countless years stalking Courtney online through her blog and social media accounts, I haven’t a doubt in my mind that they are going to be incredible parents! And I hope that their sweet little mister will inherit his parent’s amazing curly locks. How seriously adorable would that be!?
I have Courtney to thank for my crust-making abilities. Check out the best homemade pie crust recipe. The first time I successfully made pie crust, I used an invaluable blog post of hers found here. She was on a quest to find the ultimate homemade pie crust and had tried three different recipes using three different fats. Through her tenacity, endurance and generosity in sharing her findings, Courtney helped all of us hapless wannabe pie bakers create what we so longingly wanted to make (and eat). I will always think of Courtney whenever I sink my teeth into a perfect, flaky, buttery crust so it was fitting that I made something with a shell for today’s guest post.
I recently had a bag of limes leftover from making mojitos (an obvious sign that I didn’t make enough mojitos!) and since limes are too precious (and expensive) to waste, I put them to good use in today’s recipe. A quick and delicious lime curd is smoothed into a crispy sweet tart shell then topped with blueberries for a slightly sweet, slightly mouth-puckering summer dessert.
Courtney, I wish I could bring this tart over to your house and share it with you in person. I miss you, lady, and hope that you and Will are enjoying every sweet moment with your little guy!
Lime Tart
Ingredients
For the Lime Curd (adapted from epicurious):
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
For the tart shell (from Dorie Greenspan):
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 9 tbsp (or 1 stick plus 1 tbsp) very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into small
- pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
For the Topping (optional):
- Fresh blueberries (as many as you want!)
- Whipped cream would be nice too (although I didn’t use any myself)
For the Glaze (optional):
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
Instructions
For Lime Curd:
- Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl to blend. Whisk in the lime juice. Set the bowl over a large saucepan of gently simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Whisk constantly for about 5-7 minutes until the curd thickens. Immediately pour the curd through a strainer set over a bowl to remove any lumps of egg. Add the butter to the strained curd and whisk until it is fully combined. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the curd until cold, at least 4 hours. You can make the curd up to two days ahead.
For the Crust:
- Place the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. Stir the yolk in a small bowl to break it up and add it a bit at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the entire yolk has been added, process the dough in long pulses (about 10 seconds) until the dough forms clumps. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that weren’t mixed in. Do not work the dough too much.
- Butter a 9 or 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or longer before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the tart with a fork or knife a few times to create air holes (for steam to escape). Butter the shiny side of a sheet of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the surface of the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes in total. Halfway through (approximately 15 minutes) remove the foil and let the shell continue baking. The edges should have a deep golden colour when you take it out of the oven. Allow the shell to cool completely before filling.
For the Glaze and Assembly:
- Combine the apricot jam, water and dark rum in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to low. Let the glaze cook down until it thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Layer the lime curd over the cooled crust and top with fresh blueberries, apricot glaze, and whipped cream, if desired.
I’ve got to master that famous Courtney crust! Gorgeous tart for a gorgeous lady =) Congratulations again on the birth of your precious baby boy <3
Thank you so much for having me over here today, Courtney! You definitely deserve a nice long break with your sweet baby boy. I wish we lived closer together so that we could hang out in person and I could bring desserts over for you. I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far! xoxoxo