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
Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
Add salt then vanilla.
Add egg and mix 3-5 min
Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.
Butter or lightly spray tartlet pans or use non-stick pans.
Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick
Refrigerate rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes
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.
Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly, then gently press into the molds and fill all crevices.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Return to fridge for 15 – 20 min to firm up the shell
Prick holes in bottom of formed dough
Place a mini cupcake paper in each tart and fill with with pastry weights (or beans)
Paint edges of the tartlet with an egg-white wash. (Whisk one egg white with 1 Tbl water)
Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 12 min until edges are dry
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.
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack
FILLING
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.
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.
Add the key lime juice, stirring just to combine. The mixture will thicken again. Add lime oil to taste.
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.
Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream, or merengue and a lime slice or zest, if desired.
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
Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using an electric (stand) mixer.
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.
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.
Once the solution has reached 121°C (250°F), take it from the heat immediately*.
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!).
Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm.
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
Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
I am always pleased when asked to prepare some items for a party, large or small. Tonight is our annual temple baseball themed gala with an expected attendance of 100 people. I started this tradition in 2018, but missed a couple of years due to Covid etc.
Tonight Dede’ Bakery and Confectionary is serving chocolate/raspberry baseball field brownies, gluten free raspberry mousse tarts with baseball decorated cookies and key lime profiteroles with no baseball association whatsoever. (I just like them.)
GLUTEN FREE TARTS INGREDIENTS • 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes • 60 g icing sugar • 200 g Kim’s Bread flour blend • ½ tsp vanilla • ¼ tsp salt • 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash
METHOD
Mix dry Ingredients.
Lightly beat egg then add the melted butter.
Add wet to dry ingredients. Form into a dough ball.
Wrap the dough ball in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll to a 1/8” thick sheet between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic.
Cut rounds of the dough about an inch larger than the tart pans
Gently press the dough circles into the tart pans pressing into any flutes
Patch any breaks with extra dough
Dock the bottom of the crust. Wrap and keep in freezer at least 30 minutes.
Pre-bake the tart crust 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven at 350 deg.
Depending on recipe, you may want to protect the crust of the tart with foil
Cool to room temperature
Fill with raspberry mousse.
Top with a raspberry and white sugar cookies with red baseball seams.
Combine raspberries and 2 Tbl confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add to a food processor and pulse until berries are reduced
Sieve the mixture allowing enough time for most of the raspberry juice to drip into a bowl, (enough to make 200ml (2/3 c) puree)
Add 1 Tbl vanilla pudding, softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sweetener, raspberry powder and ouzo and beat until well combined (3-4 minutes on high.) Mix in red food coloring in 2 or 3 aliquots until desired color is attained.
In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream, vanilla pudding mix and confectioners sugar.
Add red food coloring (in several small amounts until desired color is attained) and whip to firm peaks.
Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream until combined. Divide the mousse among 6 dessert cups, cover, or fill a piping bag and chill until set, about 1 hour.
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
Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
Mix on low, with bowl covered for 30 seconds
CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY BROWNIE BARS I made a 1 ½ recipe and used an 11×15 pan.
INGREDIENTS Brownies • 4 large eggs • 1 ¼ c dark cocoa • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp baking powder • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 2 ¼ c sugar • 1 c unsalted butter, melted • 1 ½ c All-Purpose Flour • 1 c chocolate chips • 1 c Raspberry Jammy Bits • 3 Tbl seedless raspberry jam • 1 Tbl water Chocolate Ganache Glaze • 1 Tbl cup heavy cream • 1 Tbl light corn syrup (20g) • 2 ⅔ c (400g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped • 1 Tbl vanilla extract
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan. To make very even bars, line the pan with aluminum foil before baking, leaving foil sticking up above the edges of the pan.
Crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the sugar and melted butter, stirring until smooth.
Add the flour, chips, and Jammy Bits, again stirring well. The batter will be very thick.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth.
Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (205 degrees,) or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look moist, but not uncooked. Do not over bake! Remove them from the oven.
Heat the seedless raspberry jam with the water and stir until smooth. (I use 2 tsp of apple jelly, mixed with 1 tsp water and heated to melt the jelly.) Brush over the warm brownies. Set aside to cool for an hour or longer before topping with the ganache.
To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup until they begin to steam. Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add any flavorings, and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.
Pour ganache over the brownies while it’s still warm but has begun to thicken — reheat if it thickens too much as you work. Allow several hours for the ganache to set up fully. You may refrigerate the brownies to hasten the setting of the ganache.
Remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil sling. Heat a knife in hot water, wipe dry and use to cut the brownies. Repeat with each cut.
KEY LIME PROFITEROLES INGREDIENTS Whipped Cream Key Lime Curd: • ½ c white sugar • 2 Tbl cornstarch • ¼ tsp kosher salt • 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks • 2 tsp lime zest • ⅔ c key lime juice • ⅔ c sweetened condensed milk • 2 Tbl butter • ¾ c heavy whipping
Choux Pastry: • ½ c (65 grams) AP flour • ½ tsp granulated white sugar • ¼ tsp salt • 4 tbsp (55 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces • ½ c (120 ml) water • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache • 150 g confectioner’s sugar • 50 g heavy cream • 1 Tbl freeze-dried raspberry powder • Red food coloring • Coarse decorating sugar
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C) and place rack in center of oven.
In a bowl whisk the flour with the sugar and salt.
Place the butter and water in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. It will look like mashed potatoes. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). The dough will film the bottom and sides of the saucepan and make cleaning a pain.
Transfer the dough to an electric mixer and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about 1 minute).
Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon).
Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe oblongs of dough (about 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide) onto the parchment lined baking sheet. (When piping hold the bag at a 45-degree angle.) If desired, with a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough with the lightly beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350o F (180o C).
Remove from oven, pierce an end of each éclair with a small skewer to release the interior steam.
Continue to bake for a further 25 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Warm white chocolate to soften (30 seconds in a 1000W microwave)
Heat whipping cream to steam, but not boil and pour over the softened white chocolate
Let sit 3-4 minutes then add freeze dried raspberry, red food coloring and beat with a spoon until the mixture is smooth
After filling the profiteroles with the key lime curd dip the top into the warm ganache and sprinkle with decoration sugar. ROYAL ICING Makes ~3 cups of royal icing, (¼ recipe decorated 48 1” diameter cookies) INGREDIENTS • 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted • 3 Tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder) • 9–10 Tablespoons room temperature water METHOD
Sift confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder, into a large bowl and add 9 Tablespoons of water. Add half the water after sifting 2 cups of sugar. Add the remaining water or more, checking flow consistency of the icing is what you want for piping etc.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5 – 2 minutes.
When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, beat in more water 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually need 10 Tablespoons but on particularly dry days, I use up to 12-14 Tablespoons. Keep in mind that the longer you beat the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep beating it to introduce more air OR you can add more confectioners’ sugar.
When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thick on cookies, it will also take longer to dry. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed it up.
I love key lime. I saw a recipe that inspired me to make two pastries featuring whipped key lime (like a chiboust with key lime curd mixed with stabilized whipped cream.)
My first attempt used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry to form the pastry cups. This puff pastry “puffed” up too much. My second try used Trader Joe’s puff pastry which only puffs about 25% of Pepperidge Farm’s. This pastry worked better.
Pastry in pan with cupcake papers and beans“Sandwiched” puff pastry, cupcake papers, beans and second cupcake panBaked puff pastry
Cut the puff pastry into circles (I use hexagons as they don’t waste as much pastry) about 2” larger than the diameter of the cupcake pan pocket. Fit the circles into each pocket. Try not to fold them over along the sides and more than necessary. Place a mini-cupcake paper in each and fill with baking beans (not baked beans,) then cover with an identical cupcake pan. This will retard the “puff” of the pastry.
Raspberry coulisCoulis filled bottom of shellKey lime whipped cream piped into shell
Bake about 15 minutes at 400F. Remove the upper pan, the cupcake paper and beans, turn the oven off and return the baked shells to the over to dry the bottoms. This should take ~5 minutes.
Raspberry drizzled profiterolesRaspberry drizzled pastry shellsFinal pastriesI could have done a better job drizzling (should have!) When the first attempt failed I made profiteroles as well.
Whipped Cream Key Lime Curd: • ½ c white sugar • 2 Tbl cornstarch • ¼ tsp kosher salt • 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks • 2 tsp lime zest • ⅔ c key lime juice • ⅔ c sweetened condensed milk • 2 Tbl butter • ¾ c heavy whipping cream
Key Lime Drizzle: • 3 c confectioners’ sugar • 2 tsp lime zest • 4-6 Tbl key lime juice • ¼ tsp Agar agar.
Alternative Raspberry Drizzle • 12 oz raspberries – fresh or frozen; about 320g • ~4 to 6 Tbl granulated sugar – to taste • ~1 tsp lemon (or lime) juice • ¼ tsp Agar agar.
METHOD
Curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
Whisk in the egg yolks, lime zest, and juice. Bring to a boil, over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly and cook for about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, whisk in sweetened condensed milk, and bring back to a boil.
Remove from heat again and strain the mixture through a sieve. Add in butter and whisk until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Puff Pastry Shell: Cut defrosted and pliable puff pastry into circles 2” larger than the cupcake pan pocket. I use hexagon cutters as they are more efficient and don’t waste as much pastry dough.
Fill each cupcake pan pocket with pastry, put small cupcake paper in each pocket, fill with beans and cover with an identical cupcake pan.
Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Remove the upper pan, beans and cupcake papers and bake another 5 minutes to dry the bottoms of the shells.
Cool pastry cups to room temperature.
Drizzle: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, key lime zest, and lime juice. Add more powdered sugar/lime juice if needed for the right dripping consistency.
Assembly: Spread a thin layer pf curd in the bottom of each cup.
Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the the balance of the curd.
Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.
Transfer the whipped cream key lime curd to a piping bag, with a large star tip.
Alternative raspberry drizzle:
Add the raspberries, sugar, agar-agar and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to a boil while mashing the raspberries to break them down. Once it boils, turn off the heat and adjust with more sugar or lemon juice as needed.
Strain the raspberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Press firmly to extract all of the pulp as that is what thickens the sauce.
Thin with a teaspoon of water at a time, (if desired) keeping in mind the sauce thickens as it cools.
QC asked if I could bake something for a friend of ours who is gluten intolerant. I instantly thought of these key lime tartlets. They are delicious. I’m also baking a loaf of gluten free artisan bread and while searching for the recipes I found one for gluten free berry scones. Bingo!
For brevity I am posting each bake under a different title. Otherwise the post would be looooonnnnnggggg,
Adding the juice of a lime to the filling adds some acidity and tartness that really makes the bake.
Key Lime Tartlets Using Kim’s Bread Flour
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 (For the tart, double the amount 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
Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
Add salt then vanilla.
Add egg and mix 3-5 min
Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.
Butter or lightly spray tartlet pans or use non-stick pans.
Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Refrigerate rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes
Remove from fridge and while still firm, cut dough to rounds about 1” larger diameter than the mold. 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.
Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly and be pressed into the molds and fill all crevices.
Return to fridge for 15 – 20 min to firm up the shell
Prick holes in bottom of formed dough
Place a mini cupcake paper in each tart and fill with with pastry weights (or beans)
Paint edges of the tartlet with an egg-white wash. (Whisk one egg white with 1 Tbl water)
Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 8 min until edges are dry
Remove pastry weights and bake an additional 4-6 minutes to dry the bottoms. Bake until the edges begin to turn light brown and the bottom is nearly dry.
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack
FILLING
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.
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.
Add the lime juice, stirring just to combine. The mixture will thicken again. Add lime oil to taste.
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.
Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream, or merengue and a lime slice or zest, if desired.
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
Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using an electric (stand) mixer.
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.
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.
Once the solution has reached 121°C (250°F), take it from the heat immediately*.
While SLOWLY beating the egg whites, gently pour the hot sugar solution into the whipped egg whites (this is where the stand mixer comes in handy!).
Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm.
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
Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
We went to a luncheon with a group of friends today. As usual, we volunteered to bring a dessert. During yesterday’s golf game I discussed this with one of my golf companions. I was vacillating between raspberry and key lime tarts or tartlets.
On the 18th green she asked me if I made a decision. I told her the key lime. Of course, I could still change my mind as I wasn’t baking until this morning. Untimately, I made a single 8”x11” key lime tart with a gluten free shell, Italian meringue and lime zest topping.
There were several desserts on the table, but at the end of the meal there was no key lime tart remaining.
Key Lime Tarts and Tartlets
(Gluten Free suggestions at the end)
INGREDIENTS SHELL • 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes • 60 g icing sugar • 200 g all-purpose flour • ½ tsp vanilla • ¼ tsp salt • 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash.
FILLING (For the large tart, double the amount of 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 or lime juice • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon lime oil, optional
METHOD
SHELL
Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
Add salt then vanilla.
Add egg and mix 3-5 min – for almond flour: suggest using only the egg white to reduce the moisture in the dough.
Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Butter or lightly spray tartlet pans or use non-stick pans. (I sprayed them then wiped with a paper towel.) For AP Flour a. Roll dough on floured surface b. Cut into circles 1” larger diameter than the mold c. Press into molds filling all parts of the mold For Kim’s Gluten Free Flour a. Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick b. Freeze rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes c. For tartlets: Cut frozen dough to rounds about 1” larger diameter than the mold. Cut all the rounds at once while still frozen. I used an offset spatula to remove the circles from the parchment paper. Keep the spatula clean. d. Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly and be pressed into the molds and fill all crevices. e. For tarts: Refrigerate rolled dough and parchment paper on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes. f. Remove upper layer of parchment paper and gently lay the tart pan upside down on the cool rolled tart dough. g. Gently flip the cookie sheet, dough and tart pan h. Gently press the dough into the pan assuring there is adequate dough on all edges and corners. Pinch off excess with wet fingers. (Dough is sticky) i. Use excess scraps from the sides if necessary.
Prick holes in bottom and sides of formed dough
Fill tarts with pastry weights (I put beans in mini cupcake papers or parchment paper.)
Paint edges of the tartlet with the egg wash.
Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 8 min until edges are dry
Remove pastry weights and bake an additional 4-6 minutes to dry the bottoms. Bake until the edges begin to turn light brown.
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack
FILLING
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.
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.
Add the lime juice, stirring just to combine. The mixture will thicken again. Add lime oil to taste.
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.
Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream, or merengue and a lime slice or zest, if desired.
Store leftover pies in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week. If they last that long!
ITALIAN MERINGUE
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
Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using an electric (stand) mixer.
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.
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.
Once the solution has reached 121°C (250°F), take it from the heat immediately*.
While SLOWLY beating the egg whites, gently pour the hot sugar solution into the whipped egg whites (this is where the stand mixer comes in handy!).
Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm.
Use the meringue immediately to top whatever it is you want to cover.
NOTES Italian meringue can be made two days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed (covered with plastic wrap). Store in a piping bag, sealing the tip.
Kim’s Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend
Yield: 700g (5 c)
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
QC reported back that the mousse of the previous attempt wasn’t sharp enough to balance the sweetness of the meringue. I, on the other hand, didn’t think the meringue itself was up to snuff. (Interesting phrase, up to snuff.)
Today, I modified the mousse recipe to give it a bit of a punch and resurrected my pavlova recipe rather than use the Italian meringue recipe I used in the previous.
I added 1/2 teaspoon of freeze dried raspberry powder for a little more acidity.
Both revisions were spot on. (Another interesting phrase.)
Here is the new recipe and method for the Key Lime Merengue Tartlets.
Key Lime Mousse Meringue Tartlets
INGREDIENTS
MERINGUE 6 (180 g) large rm temp egg whites 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 2 tsp corn starch ½ tsp cream of tartar ½ Tbsp lemon juice ½ Tbsp vanilla ½ Tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder
MOUSSE 1 ½ c. heavy cream ¼ c. powdered sugar 1 c. sweetened condensed milk (try reducing to ½ c) 1/3 c. key lime juice 30 g of fresh squeezed lime juice 5 g of zest from the same lime 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
METHOD
MOUSSE
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and powdered sugar into stiff peaks.
Zest the lime, then squeeze and collect the juice.
In a medium bowl, mix condensed milk, key lime juice, lime juice, half the lime zest and vanilla until combined.
Add to bowl of whipped cream. Gently fold ¼ – ½ c. in until just combined. (It wasn’t thick enough. Try to cut the sweetened condensed milk in half. Slowly add the lime mixture to the whipped cream ¼ cup at a time. Refrigerate to thicken.)
Keep refrigerated until ready to fill the meringue cups.
MERINGUE
Preheat the Oven to 215˚ F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment (or Silpat) paper. Using your stand mixer, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
Whisk together sugar and cream of tartar. With the mixer on high, gradually add sugar and cream of tartar one tablespoon at a time, waiting between each addition.
Beat 10 min on high speed, or until firm peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
Add the cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Continue whipping until very firm peaks.
Divide meringue saving a few tablespoons for the kisses. Add the raspberry powder and whip until incorporated.
Pipe a disk of meringue about 2”-2 ½” diameter then pipe around the disk to make walls about ½” – ¾” high.
Pipe kisses of raspberry meringue on the silpat using a star piping tip. Each kiss should be ¼” – ½” high and ½” – ¾” diameter.
Bake for 30-45 min. If the temperature is too high, or you leave them in the oven to long they will begin to brown. Check after 30 minutes and add 15 additional minutes if necessary for the surface to no longer tacky.
Turn off the oven and leave the meringue cups in the oven to slowly cool.
Once cool, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature (in a low humidity place).
TARTLETS
When both the mousse and meringue cups are cool, pipe the mousse into the well of each tart shell.
Place a kiss on each, sprinkle some lime zest on top of the tart and kiss.
I had some key lime mousse left over from yesterday and didn’t want to waste it, so I made more key lime tartlets this morning. I did NOT have any tart shells left over so I decided to experiment with meringue “tart shells.” I needed to do that anyway as I am making them for Passover in April. I made some fresh blueberry syrup to add some color. I also need to “tart up” these tarts and the meringue is very sweet.
I also didn’t have room on my serving trays for all the eclairs I made so I finished them this morning.
The chocolate was a little thick but I managed to coat the eclairs with a nice, thick layer of chocolate. It’s a shame.
Time to update the Next Up in DeDe’s Bakery!
Key Lime Mousse Meringue Tartlets
INGREDIENTS
MERINGUE • 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) • ¼ tsp cream of tartar MOUSSE • 1 ½ c. heavy cream • ¼ c. powdered sugar • 1 c. sweetened condensed milk • 1/3 c. freshly squeezed key lime juice • Juice of one lime • Zest of the same lime • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract • Key lime zest , for garnish
METHOD ITALIAN MERINGUE
Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using a stand mixer.
Add the cream of tartar 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.
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 until the solution has reached 240°F, then remove from the heat.
While SLOWLY beating the egg whites, gently pour the hot sugar solution into the whipped egg whites.
Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm. This may take 15 minutes.
MOUSSE
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and powdered sugar into stiff peaks.
Zest the lime, then squeeze and collect the juice.
In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, key lime juice, lime juice, lime zest and vanilla. Add to bowl of whipped cream. Gently fold in until just combined.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
TARTLETS
Pipe meringue into disks about ¼ “ thick and 3” diameter. Bake at 200F for 45 minutes, until they are dry to the touch.
Remove from oven and let cool, then pipe kisses of meringue around the edges of the disks. Each kiss should be ¼” – ½” high. Bake at 200F for 45 – 60 minutes, not letting the tips of the kisses brown. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven to cool before removing.
When cool, pipe the mousse into the well of each tart shell.
Pipe (or place, see NOTE) a small kiss on each tart. NOTE: After making these tartlets I realized making individual small ( ¼” – ½”) diameter kisses could be placed on the piped mousse. Pipe them at the same time, with the same piping tip as the edges of the tartlets. Then, just place them on the piped mousse.)
Spoon a small amount of berry juice (I used blueberry juice, but any tart juice would work.)
Our synagogue’s fundraiser is tonight and the administrator asked me to provide some of the deserts and something for the auction. To identify my goods I asked Dan to create a logo for me. For those who do not know, DeDe is my granddaughters name for me because they couldn’t pronounce Zayde (Yiddish for grandfather) when they were younger and it just stuck.
Over the last week or so I made and froze choux pastry for the eclairs and shells for the tarts. I made all the fillings yesterday and assembled everything this morning except the pain au chocolat which I made in its entirety this morning. (They don’t take very long.)
I am making key lime tartlets for a Gala/fundraiser in a week and wanted to practice. It’s a good thing I did. The meringue never whipped to peaks. I binned the first attempt and made some minor changes to the second, which resulted in perfect, smooth, silky Italian meringue.
I used a kitchen blowtorch to brown the tops. The lime zest incorporated in the filling and lightly dusted on the top added the tartness to balance the meringue.
Key Lime Tartlets
Gluten Free suggestions at the end
INGREDIENTS SHELL • 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes • 200 g all-purpose flour • 60 g icing sugar • ½ tsp vanilla • ¼ tsp salt • 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash (try egg white only for Almond flour.)
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 or lime juice • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon lime oil, optional METHOD SHELL
Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
Add salt then vanilla
Add egg and mix 3-5 min – for almond flour: suggest using only the egg white to reduce the moisture in the dough
Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Butter tartlet pans, or use non-stick pans For AP Flour a. Roll dough on floured surface b. Cut into circles 1” larger diameter than the mold c. Press into molds filling all parts of the mold For Almond Flour a. Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick b. Freeze rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes c. Cut frozen dough to rounds about 1” larger diameter than the mold. Cut all the rounds at once while still frozen. I used an offset spatula to remove the circles from the parchment paper. Keep the spatula clean. d. Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly and be pressed into the molds and fill all crevices.
Pinch off excess with wet fingers. (Dough is sticky)
Prick holes in bottom and sides of formed dough
Fill tarts with pastry weights (I put beans in mini cupcake papers
Paint edges of the tartlet with the egg wash.
Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 6-8 min
Remove pastry weights and bake an additional 4-6 minutes to dry the bottoms. Bake until the edges are begin to turn light brown
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack
FILLING
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.
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.
Add the lime juice, stirring just to combine. The mixture will thicken again. Add lime oil to taste.
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.
Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream, or merengue and a lime slice or zest, if desired.
Store leftover pies in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week. If they last that long!
Notes Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Up to 1 day in advance, you can prepare the crust ingredients and the filling ingredients separately. Store each covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to assemble and bake. You can bake the key lime pies and store in the refrigerator for 1 day before serving. Key lime pies freeze well, up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Gluten Free: Substitute Almond flour for AP flour or 1:1 Almond and coconut flours Add 1 Tbl psyllium husk per cup of almond flour.
ITALIAN MERINGUE
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
Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using an electric (stand) mixer.
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.
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.
Once the solution has reached 121°C (250°F), take it from the heat immediately*.
While SLOWLY beating the egg whites, gently pour the hot sugar solution into the whipped egg whites (this is where the stand mixer comes in handy!).
Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm.
Use the meringue immediately to top whatever it is you want to cover.
NOTES Italian meringue can be made two days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed (covered with plastic wrap). Store in a piping bag, sealing the tip,
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