I needed a second dessert to take over to dinner at Dorothy's parents' house and decided that Tish Boyle's "Lime Cream Tart with Ginger-Cream Cheese Crust" would be a bright, refreshing choice. This tart has a crust that includes cream cheese, lime juice, and grated fresh ginger, and a tangy lime curd filling made with whole eggs. The headnote indicates that the curd is more like a light cream or mousse because it is made in a double boiler, like a sabayon, with softened butter whisked in once it's thickened.
You make the crust in the food processor by mixing together flour, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder; adding chunks of cream cheese; cutting in frozen butter and grated fresh ginger; and adding lime juice and enough ice-cold water to have the dough come together. You chill the dough before rolling it out and lining a tart pan. The dough was very nicely behaved and rolled out without sticking or tearing. I docked the crust, chilled it again briefly, and blind baked it until lightly browned.
To make the filling, you whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, and salt in a double boiler; cook until thickened; and then whisk in softened butter. I noticed some pieces of cooked albumen in the curd and so I put it through a fine-mesh sieve before stirring in lime zest. I poured the warm curd directly into the cooled baked crust and chilled the tart for a few hours before dinner.
The recipe directs you to serve the tart with sweetened whipped cream but I decided to serve it plain. It released easily from the tart pan and the filling held its shape nicely after being sliced. I thought that the filling seemed exactly like a firm fruit curd -- I would not characterize it as being more like a light cream or mousse. The tart was delicious. The ginger flavor in the crust was noticeable but not too strong, and it was a beautiful pairing with lime. The one change I would make in the future is to use a 9-inch tart pan instead of the 11-inch pan specified in the recipe; I think it would have been nicer if the filling layer was a little thicker, especially if you want to serve the tart without whipped cream.
I was a little surprised that this dessert was more popular with the children at dinner than the fraisier. In fact, when I discussed cake options with Dorothy's sons for their upcoming birthdays, her older son Alexander requested that I make this lime tart -- a marked departure from his usual request for carrot cake. I consider this tart a success on all fronts.
Recipe: "Lime Cream Tart with Ginger-Cream Cheese Crust" from Flavorful by Tish Boyle.
Previous Post:
You make the crust in the food processor by mixing together flour, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder; adding chunks of cream cheese; cutting in frozen butter and grated fresh ginger; and adding lime juice and enough ice-cold water to have the dough come together. You chill the dough before rolling it out and lining a tart pan. The dough was very nicely behaved and rolled out without sticking or tearing. I docked the crust, chilled it again briefly, and blind baked it until lightly browned.
To make the filling, you whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, and salt in a double boiler; cook until thickened; and then whisk in softened butter. I noticed some pieces of cooked albumen in the curd and so I put it through a fine-mesh sieve before stirring in lime zest. I poured the warm curd directly into the cooled baked crust and chilled the tart for a few hours before dinner.
I was a little surprised that this dessert was more popular with the children at dinner than the fraisier. In fact, when I discussed cake options with Dorothy's sons for their upcoming birthdays, her older son Alexander requested that I make this lime tart -- a marked departure from his usual request for carrot cake. I consider this tart a success on all fronts.
Recipe: "Lime Cream Tart with Ginger-Cream Cheese Crust" from Flavorful by Tish Boyle.
Previous Post:
- "The Warmest Flavors of Winter: Lemon Lime Bars," February 18, 2014.
- "Salty-Tart-Creamy-Crunchy-Sweet: Sunrise Key Lime Tarts," October 23, 2012.
- "Ask and You Shall Receive: Key Lime Pie," February 11, 2012.
- "The Name Is No Lie: Very Tangy Lime Bars," November 17, 2010.
Comments