My blackberries finally succumbed to the heat. I picked several pints but lost many times that due to dehydration in the 100+ temperatures. Luckily I froze a few pints and used about 175g of them to make scones this morning and have enough to make another couple of dozen scones later. Also Luckily, the scones freeze well and only need to come to room temperature to be as good as fresh.
Berry Drop Scones
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup (67g) sugar
Zest of 1 small lemon (or orange or lime)
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
150-175g berries. Use any berries that you like.
1 cup heavy cream + extra if required
Coarse or turbinado sugar for topping
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand.
Empty the flour mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir until just barely incorporated. Add additional cream by the tablespoon to help the dough come together
Gently fold in the berries. It’s fine if the raspberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough. The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
Spoon, or use your hands, the dough into 12 equally sized pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse or turbinado sugar over the top, if desired.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The scones should be lightly golden and cooked through. I rotate the pan after 10 minutes
Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
Continuing the thread of gluten free bakes, this one provides a nice gluten free snack or breakfast without being “breads.”
The only changes I made to the original recipe are including xanthan gum and substituting milk and cream for almond milk.
Gluten Free Berry Drop Scones
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free AP flour
1 tablespoon baking powder • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/3 cup sugar • 1 ½ tsp xanthan gum (optional) • Zest of 1 small lemon • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening chilled and cut into cubes • 150-175g fresh raspberries • 1 cup almond milk (See NOTE below) • Coarse or turbinado sugar for topping
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum (optional), salt, sugar and zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
Add the cubed Crisco and pulse to incorporate. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand.
Empty the flour mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the almond milk and stir until just barely incorporated. (NOTE: I use ¼ c heavy cream and ¾ c 2% calcium free milk)
Gently fold in the berries. It’s fine if the raspberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough. The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
Spoon (I used my hands, wetted if necessary to form small balls of dough) the dough into 9-12 equally sized pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse or turbinado sugar over the top, if desired.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The scones should be lightly golden and cooked through.
Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
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
I made a slightly larger version of these tartlets a couple of weeks ago. In that version, I combined crème patisserie and buttercream to make the filling. This time I combined the same crèmepat with Italian meringue to create a creme chiboust for a lighter filling. Unfortunately, it didn’t set as well. They looked great and tasted even better but the texture of the filling was off.
I see three options here: first go back to the buttercream version, or use less than the recommended Italian meringue in an attempt to keep the creme chiboust firmer OR use agar agar to set the crèmepat firmer. (I never use gelatin in baking.)
Stay tuned, I have 5 hours to make a decision. (That’s when the second 4th of July party begins.
Raspberry Pistachio Chiboust Tartlets
INGREDIENTS Crust: • 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting • 3 tablespoon sugar • ½ teaspoon baking powder • ¼ teaspoon salt • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes • 1 egg, separated • 2 tablespoon cold water • 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream • ½ cup seedless raspberry jam Crème Patisserie: • 240 mL full-fat milk 1 c • ¼ tsp sea salt • 25 g sugar ~ 2 generous Tbl • 4 egg yolks from large eggs (save the egg whites from these eggs for the meringue) • 30 g cornstarch – 4 Tbl • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract • 30 g butter 2 Tbl • 3 tablespoon pistachio oil • 1-2 drops green food coloring (optional) Italian meringue: • 4 egg whites at room temperature • 150 g white sugar – ¾ cup • 80 g water – ⅓ cup Garnish: • fresh raspberries • chopped white chocolate • chopped pistachios
METHOD
Crème Patisserie
Whisk eggs and milk together then add to all other ingredients (except vanilla) to a medium saucepan.
Bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly
Cook until it slightly thickens (it will look lumpy, its ok)
Sieve lumpy mixture into a bowl and add vanilla, and pistachio oil and green food coloring (if using) mix thoroughly
When incorporated, cover with plastic directly on the crème patisserie and cool about an hour.
Crust
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse sand.
Make a well in the middle of the pastry and pour in the ice water and egg yolk {save the white for later}; work it in with your hands until no longer overly wet and sticky. If the dough is overly crumbly, add in the heavy cream a little at a time until the pastry is relatively pliable and no longer floury.
Pat into a circle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out a large rectangle with the dough. Divide the dough evenly among 6 tartlet pans {you can also use one large tart pan}, pressing down the bottom and up the sides. Prick the bottoms with a fork, then top with a piece of foil. Fill the crust with pie weights or dry beans. Place in fridge for another 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake tartlets for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, spoon 1-2 tablespoon of jam in the bottom of each and brush the sides of the crust with the reserved egg white. Bake for 10-12 more minutes, until lightly golden but not brown. Set aside to cool.
Italian meringue
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high and allow the syrup to come to a boil without stirring.
In the meantime, add the egg whites to a medium-sized, heatproof bowl and mix (with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until foamy and the whites are almost able to hold soft peaks.
Once the syrup is boiling, clip on a candy (or sugar) thermometer.
Cook until the syrup reaches 116°C/240°F, then take the pan off the heat and slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the bowl with the foamy egg whites, mixing continuously. Don’t pour the syrup onto the whisk, or the syrup may splatter against the sides of the bowl (or into your face!). Instead, aim for a spot close to the whisk.
Once all the syrup has been added, keep mixing until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue has cooled down to body temperature.
Assembly
When ready to assemble, take the pastry cream from the fridge. Whisk until smooth and creamy, then add 1/3 of the meringue and fold gently. Add another 1/3 and again fold then add the remainder and gently fold until all the white meringue is incorporated.
Pipe the cream evenly among the prepared tartlets, then refrigerate at least 2-3 hrs but optimally overnight.
Just before serving, top tarts with raspberries, white chocolate, and pistachios. Serve chilled!
I saw a recipe for a raspberry/pistachio mini tart and my mind went “Boing!” It usurped everything else in Dede’s Upcoming list.
I made several modifications to the recipe. I used an alternate creme patisserie, alternate tart shell but used the same basic buttercream recipes. When I try these again (today was a test for an Independence Day party) I will try a pistachio creme chiboust. (It’s a bit lighter.)
Raspberry Pistachio Tartlets
INGREDIENTS Pastry cream • 2 egg yolk • ¾ c cup whole milk • ¼ cup heavy cream • ¼ c sugar • 4 Tbl cornstarch • Pinch of salt • 1 Tbl butter • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract • 3 tablespoon pistachio oil • 1-2 drops green food coloring 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 • ½ cup seedless raspberry jam Buttercream • 4 tablespoon {½ stick} unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 cup powdered sugar • 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • pinch of salt Garnish • fresh raspberries • chopped white chocolate • chopped pistachios
METHOD
In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk and egg yolks. (You can, so why not?)
Add the salt, sugar and cornstarch then beat until smooth. (We use 2% milk so I add heavy cream to it.)
Add the butter and heat while constantly whisking until it just starts to look lumpy
Sieve into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix butter with sugar
Add salt then vanilla
Add egg and mix until incorporated
Stir in flour. Mix by hand like you are kneading bread until incorporated
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min
Butter tartlet pans, or use non-stick pans
Roll dough to about ⅛” thick
Lay over tart mold and press into all crevices
Roll top to cut off excess
Prick holes in bottom and sides of formed dough
Fill tarts with pastry weights. For mini tartlet pans I put beans in a cupcake paper. For large pans use crumpled parchment paper filled with beans. Remove 5 minutes before the end of the bake. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the bottom is dry.
Paint edges of the tartlet with the egg wash.
Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 15 min
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter for the buttercream until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and cream, and mix until a fluffy frosting forms.
When ready to assemble, grab the pastry cream from the fridge. Whisk until smooth and creamy, then add in the pistachio cream and mix until well incorporated and silky. Add in a drop of food coloring if desired.
Gently fold the buttercream into the pistachio pastry cream.
Pour ~1/8” of raspberry jam to cover the bottom of the tart shell
Pipe the cream evenly among the prepared tartlets, smooth the top then refrigerate at least 2-3 hrs but optimally overnight.
Just before serving, top tarts with raspberries, white chocolate, and pistachios. Serve chilled!
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
An early episode of GBBO featured English Teacakes. They simply called them Teacakes but as American Tea Cakes are very popular in the southern US, I added the ‘English’ modifier for clarity.
Teacakes are a classic sweet yeasted bun with dried fruit and aromatic spice. English cafes serve teacakes, usually toasted, liberally buttered along side a pot of tea.
The term, teacake, derives from a tradition of ‘yeast cakes’ and are more bread-like than cake-like. They are basically a simple bread dough enriched by adding extra fat (usually butter and/or eggs) so it becomes softer with a delicate crumb.
Teacakes – Traditional English
INGREDIENTS • 1 cup milk (236 ml) warmed to 100 – 110 °F (38 – 43°C) • 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast • 4 tablespoons sugar • 3 ½ cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon all spice • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger • 1 cup (128 grams) dried currants, raisins or cranberries • 6 tablespoons unsalted melted butter • 2 large beaten eggs • Zest of a large lemon – optional replacing some spices from above • 1 additional beaten egg combined with 1 Tbl water for an egg wash
METHOD
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the milk, yeast and sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes (maybe more) until you start to see it bubble a little.
Add the flour, salt, spices and currants and mix well.
Add the butter and beaten eggs. Use a flat beater to incorporate the liquids into the flour. When the dough comes together, use a dough hook and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should be slightly but not overly sticky. Add more flour by the tablespoon until that is achieved. It should not clean the walls of the bowl.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for about 45 mins to rise.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly for a few minutes until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 balls (~90g each) and shape each into a bun that is a flat round.
(12 balls will make a traditional teacake size. Divide into 45g balls for small snack sized cakes. Adjust the bake time accordingly.)
Place evenly spaced onto the baking sheet and cover loosely with a towel. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until they double in size.
Preheat oven to 400°F /200°C.
Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown (time may vary depending on your oven). I rotate the pan after 8 minutes to compensate for uneven temperature in the oven.)
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.)
aBatteredOldSuitcase 