Perfect Lime Tart – So Easy

This Perfect Lime Tart – So Easy is exactly that. Easy to make and simply perfect for dessert.

Limes have those familiar citrus notes that are so refreshing in a dessert. Similar to, but distinct from lemons, they are great in both sweet and savoury dishes. This particular tart has a lovely sweetness which offsets the tartness perfectly.

The recipe is easy to make. One reason for that is the simplicity of the pastry crust. It takes very little time and bakes up into a wonderful crisp receptacle for the lime curd. The butter was melted and stirred into the dry ingredients, which is much quicker and easier than rubbing cold butter in.

The crust is baked prior to being filled with the curd. Then it is baked again for about 10 minutes.

The lime curd is easy to make too. The stove top is used to cook the curd until it starts thickening and has reached a temperature of 71C/160F. Once the curd has reached that temperature it is poured into the baked tart case and placed into the oven to bake for 10 minutes to help set the curd.

The colour of the curd doesn’t naturally take on a green colour, familiar from the lime zest. However that is not important. It is the flavour which counts. Of course, a colouring agent can be added to create the lime green colour if desired. Indeed I added just a little colouring to my curd, though it didn’t greatly affect the colour.

My Lime Tart

I baked by tart case for 35 minutes and I had a slight crack in it. However I had egg whites available, since the recipe used both whole egg and egg yolks. So I brushed some egg white over the crack to seal it, baking it for another minute. That sealed the crack completely.

My curd had thickened on the stove top and I poured it into the tart case and then baked it for 10 minutes. That was until the curd was set with just a slight jiggle in the centre when shaken.

I did add some colouring to my curd, but I didn’t have my usual green gel and used a powder. It didn’t make an enormous difference, and I don’t think I would bother with it when making the tart again.

I removed the tart from the oven and left it to cool completely. Then I removed it from the tart pan.

I made an error, using a plate that wasn’t quite large enough, so the tart cracked when I transferred it. I then used a larger plate, but clearly couldn’t repair the damage. However, obviously, that didn’t affect the flavour at all.

I enjoyed it immensely, the sweet but tart curd and the crisp and buttery crust were the perfect combination. I shared the tart with my niece too and she messaged me to say how good it was.

Another citrus tart recipe is Lemon Tart – Tarte Au Citron.

Perfect Lime Tart – So Easy

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: Desserts, Pies, TartsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• Tart Case

• 210g(1 1.3 cups + 1 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour

• 62g(5 tbsp) caster sugar

• 3g(1/2 tsp) salt

• 140g(10 tbsp) melted unsalted butter

• Lime Curd

• 120ml(1/2 cup) lime juice

• zest from 2 limes

• 200g(1 cup) caster sugar

• 3 medium eggs(large in USA)

• 3 medium egg yolks(large in USA)

• 1.5g(1.4 tsp) salt

• 19g(2 tbsp) plain flour

• 56g(1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cubed.

• green colouring(optional)

Directions

• Place the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
• Pour the melted butter in and stir together until the mixture turns into a soft paste.
• Take 3/4 of the paste and crumble it over the base of a loose-bottomed 9 inch/23cm tart pan.
• Press the paste down to evenly cover the base of the pan.
• Crumble the remaining paste around the edge of the pan and press it up the side to form the rim of the tart case.
• Use the back of a spoon to level off the paste.
• Chill the case in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350 F.
• Place the tart pan onto a baking tray and bake it in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until fully baked.
• As the tart case bake place the sugar, flour and salt into a saucepan and rub the lime zest in to release some of the oils.
• Pour in the eggs and egg yolks and whisk to combine.
• Add the lime juice and a little colouring(if using) and whisk until fully combined.
• Place the saucepan on to a gentle heat and, whisking constantly, heat it until the temperature reaches 71C/160F and the mixture begins to thicken.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter until fully incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into the baked tart case and return it to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until the mixture is set and, when shaken, jiggles slightly in the centre.
• Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool completely, before serving. You can remove it from the tart pan after about 20 minutes to speed up the cooling process.