Lemon and Lime Cream Tart

From Jamie Oliver’s, The Naked Chef

I have had wonderful tarts in France - pear tart, Normandy tart (a combination of apples and cream), apple tart, chocolate tart, and my favorite, lemon tart.  Surprisingly, the best lemon tart I have ever had was not in France, but at Laforêt, a fine French restaurant in Pittsburgh.  My brother and I had both ordered the lemon tart, and after the first bite we just looked at each other, our eyes wide.  Could something really taste this good?  I have never forgotten that luscious tart, every bite was amazing.  Anyway, when I came across this recipe for lemon lime tart I was skeptical. Could I really make something that could stand up to the fine tarts I had in the past?  Well, I must say, this recipe is quite good.  I love the addition of lime to the tart.  The first time I made it, it turned out wonderfully.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I have!  

  Kara – A Cooks’ Wares
 

Ingredients:
1 tart shell*
1 ½ cups sugar
8 large eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup minus 1 Tbs. lime juice (strained to eliminate seeds and most of the pulp)
½ cup lemon juice (strained to eliminate seeds and most of the pulp)
grated zest of 2-4 limes (If you want to bring out the fragrance of the lime use 4; I like to use two limes)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Remove tart shell from the freezer.**  Egg-wash the tart shell (i.e. brush the tart shell with one beaten egg white).  Bake the tart shell for about 12 minutes, so it is lightly colored and just cooked through.

Meanwhile whisk together the sugar and eggs in a bowl.  When they are well mixed, slowly stir in the cream and juices.  Put the baked tart shell back in the oven and pour the filling into it – this reduces spillage.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is set, but still semi-wobbly in the middle.  (Different ovens cook at different rates, so the first time you make this tart keep a close eye on it to avoid over baking.)  Cool the tart for at least an hour.  In this time the semi-wobbly filling will have firmed up to a soft and smooth consistency.  If you cut the tart before it has had time to rest it will pour out or be extremely gooey. If you wish, serve with some fresh raspberries or blueberries.

Short Crust Sweet Pastry - Makes two 12-inch tart shells*
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. butter
1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar
a pinch of salt
just over 1 lb. of flour (about 3¾ - 4 cups)
4 egg yolks
¼ cup cold milk or water

Before you begin making your pastry dough, keep in mind that you want to get your ingredients in a dough form with the minimum amount of mixing.  The more you work the dough, the more elastic it will become.

This dough can be made by hand or in a food processor.  Cream together the butter, sugar and salt and then rub or pulse in the flour and egg yolks (make sure not to over mix; if using a food processor keep pulses very short).  When this mixture has come together, looking like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water. (If using a food processor you might want to move your dough to a bowl before adding milk or water to ensure you do not over work the dough.)  Pat and gently work together to form a ball of dough.  Lightly flour and push, pat and squeeze into shape. 

Roll or mold the pastry dough into a really large, short and fat sausage shape.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1hour. 

Remove from refrigerator and slice off thin slivers of the dough lengthwise, about 1/8 of an inch thick. (I have found that using an 8” slicer makes this task very easy.)  Place slivers in and around the bottom and sides of your 12-inch tart pan, fitting them together like a sort of jigsaw puzzle.  Then push the pieces together, level out, and clean off excess pastry from the sides of the pan.  Once you have finished lining your pan, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least an hour.  (This recipe makes two 12” tart shells, so you can line your tart pans and store them in the freezer until you need them.**)  Once you have the crust done, it is easy to whip up a filling and have a fresh tart for company.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Bake the shell for about 15 minutes.  This will cook the tart shell all the way through, coloring it slightly.