QC’s Mah Jongg group played at our house and you know what that means… an excuse to bake! This time I made an 8” key lime tart with raspberry coulis and Italian meringue.

(After I piped the meringue I realized I made an octopus-tart.)

Gluten Free Key Lime Tart Using Kim’s Bread Flour

Yield: 12 – 2 ½“ tartlet shells or1 8” tart shell

INGREDIENTS
SHELL
• 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes
• 60 g icing sugar
• 200 g Kim’s Bread flour
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash

FILLING
• zest (grated rind) of 1 lime
• 4 large egg yolks
• 14-ounce can (397g) sweetened condensed milk, (1 1/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup (170g) Key lime juice
• Juice of 1 lime
METHOD
SHELL

1. Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
2. Add salt then vanilla.
3. Add egg and mix 3-5 min
4. Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
5. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.
6. Butter or lightly spray tartlet pans or use non-stick pans.
7. Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick
8. Refrigerate rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes
9. Remove from fridge and while still firm, cut dough to rounds about 1” larger diameter than the mold. 2 ½” tart mold requires a 3” cutter. Cut all the rounds at once while still firm. If necessary, return to the fridge to firm up. Again, if necessary, use an offset spatula to remove the circles from the parchment paper. Keep the spatula clean.
10. Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly, then gently press into the molds and fill all crevices.
11. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
12. Return to fridge for 15 – 20 min to firm up the shell
13. Prick holes in bottom of formed dough
14. Place a mini cupcake paper in each tart and fill with with pastry weights (or beans)
15. Paint edges of the tartlet with an egg-white wash. (Whisk one egg white with 1 Tbl water)
16. Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 12 min until edges are dry
17. Remove pastry weights and bake an additional 6-10 minutes to dry the bottoms. Bake until the edges begin to turn light brown and the bottom is nearly dry.
18. Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack

FILLING

1. Whisk the lime zest and egg yolks at high speed of an electric mixer for about 4 minutes. The mixture will lighten in color and thicken somewhat, appearing similar to Hollandaise sauce.
2. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, mixing until smooth. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes; the filling will become slightly thicker and gain a bit of volume.
3. Add the key lime juice, stirring just to combine. The mixture will thicken again. Add lime oil to taste.
4. PIPE the filling into the crust and return the tart (on the baking sheet) to the oven. Bake the tart for 12 to 18 minutes, until it appears set around the edges though still a bit wobbly in the center. The center should read about 145°F on a digital thermometer.
5. Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
6. Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream, or merengue and a lime slice or zest, if desired.
7. Store leftover pies in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week. If they last that long!

ITALIAN MERINGUE (NOTE: Alternatively use whipped cream)

INGREDIENTS
• 80g (or 0.4 cup or 6.5 Tbl) granulated sugar
• 30ml (or 1/8 cup) water
• 60g (or ¼ cup) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)
• 20 g icing sugar

METHOD

1. Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using an electric (stand) mixer.
2. Add the icing sugar and continue whipping until you’ve got a glossy stable foam. It should stay in place if you turn the bowl upside down. Set aside.
3. Add the granulated sugar and water to a pan and bring to a boil. Once all the sugar has dissolved, refrain from stirring. Continue boiling at moderate/high heat while continuously keeping an eye on the temperature.
4. Once the solution has reached 121°C (250°F), take it from the heat immediately*.
5. While SLOWLY whisking the egg whites, gently, slowly, pour the hot sugar solution into the whipped egg whites (this is where the stand mixer comes in handy!).
6. Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm.
7. Use the meringue immediately to top whatever it is you want to cover.

Kim’s Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend

Yield: 700g (5 c)
INGREDIENTS

• 285g Bob’s Red Mill potato starch
• 250g superfine white rice flour (DON’T use regular rice flour, ie Bob’s Red Mill)
• 75g Tapioca flour
• 75g Whey protein isolate or egg white protein.
• 15g Xanthan gum

METHOD

1. Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
2. Mix on low, with bowl covered for 30 seconds