Keylime Tart (for Pi Day)
I’ve recreated the crust, filling and meringue with paleo ingredients from my classic key lime recipe.
So, this recipe has been around for a year and I’m just posting it. I don’t like the photo so this one is temporary. I got a new camera since then. But, since it’s Pi Day, it gave me the incentive to finally post it, perhaps make it again (I really am not such a sweets person anymore) and give the meringue another go. If you scroll through my Instagram posts you’ll see this photo from around Memorial Day of last year. Perhaps I’ll make it again for St. Patrick’s Day since it’s “greenish”. Mastering the basketweave piped top might take a little practice, so you can garnish however you like. Rosettes around the perimeter with lime slices looks great too. This video will help you with a quick tutorial at the end.
Keylime Tart
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons grass-fed unsalted ghee
- 1 egg
- 2 cans coconut sweetened condensed milk
- 6 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
- 6 ounces organic or fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 4 limes)
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- pinch salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, salt and mix well. Add the ghee, mash and toss with two forks to combine until it resembles small peas.
- Add the egg and stir to completely combine.
- Press the crust mixture into a tart pan with a removable bottom, sprayed with ghee or avocado oil spray. Be sure to level the edges around the top, and be sure there are no thin areas or holes. (Using a pan with a removable bottom makes removing from the pan much easier. If you don't have such a pan, you can use a pie pan, and just leave it in the pan to serve.)
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until pale opaque and set. Allow to cool slightly.
- Pour the two cans of coconut sweetened condensed milk into a mixing bowl. (You can rinse out the crust bowl and use it again, saves clean up!)
- Add the yolks and stir to combine completely.
- Add the lime juice last, using a whisk to gently stir into the custard, making certain it's completely combined.
- Pour into par-baked crust and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. It will be set in the center (no longer liquid). Cool to room temperature, then transfer to refrigerator to cool completely. About 2 hours or overnight.
- You will need a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to whip the meringue.
- First, heat the meringue ingredients on the stove in a bain marie (double boiler). Be sure to leave a gap between the water in the bottom pan and the bowl on top, for the steam. (Be sure the water in bottom pan is not touching the bowl on top.) If using a stand mixer (like a kitchenaid) you can use the metal mixing bowl over a saucepan for the bain marie, then move to the mixer with the whip attachment.
- Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt. Turn the heat to medium and stir constantly with a whisk. At first the mixture will be thick, then, as the sugar heats and begins to melt, the mixture will become thinner. Cook until it reaches about 100ºF. You can easily test this by placing the tip of your finger into the mixture and touching your upper lip. If it is slightly warmer than body temperature, it is ready.
- Move to the stand mixer (or using an electric hand mixer) whip on high speed until the mixture is thick, opaque and tripled in volume. It will resemble marshmallow.
- Transfer mixture to a pastry bag with a star tip and create a basketweave pattern by piping horizontal lines spaced apart as desired. Then, going the opposite direction, pipe in between every other bar, and over every other bar. The video posted on the website gives a quick tutorial at the end. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
