Of Butter and French Lime Creme Tarts

This was my thought on Sunday morning: 'I know, I will make scones.'  And then I asked those who had managed to congregate in our bed, 'How's that sound?  Hmmm?  Scones sound alright for breakfast?'  I was met with a resounding 'YES!', or maybe just a, 'Yeah, I guess that'd be alright.'  So, with that in mind,  I padded off to the kitchen to get started.  But there you go -- sinking heart.  No butter.  (NO BUTTER?!  No fecking butter, did you say??!!)  Yes, that's right.  No Fecking Butter!  None at all, aside from one lonely stick.  One paltry, lonely, pathetic stick of butter.  Pffft.  And then I thought this: 'What kind of person have I become?  Am I not a woman?!  It's like I don't even know who I am anymore.  Bloody hell. And also sniff, sniff.'

Or something like that anyway.  And so.

The situation was remedied immediately.  After church we stopped and bought four pounds.

Ahem, now then, where was I?  Scones?  No, no, we've moved on since then.  Now it is all about French Tarts.  (No, not that sort, thank you very much.)  Now it is all about the French Lime Creme Tarts.  Or (if it is a few days later), the French Lemon Creme Tart -- equally good and calling for equal amounts of butter (roughly one pound, to be precise).  Praises be to God!  Because really, couldn't we all use a bit more more butter in our lives?  (Yes, please.)

But there you are.  One week.  I have made both.  French Lime Creme Tart and French Lemon Creme Tart.  Which is better?  Dunno.  But I am inclined to go lime.  Or maybe lemon.  But most certainly lime.  And Emilia appears to agree, dreamy girl that she is.

  

French Lime Creme Tart

1 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 limes
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 4 or 5 limes)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces, at room temperature
1 9-inch tart shell made with Sweet Tart Dough, baked and cooled

Before you start, have a strainer, a food processor, and a thermometer, at the ready.

Bring a few inches of water to boil in a small saucepan.

Place the sugar and lime zest in a bowl.  Place it over the pan of bowling water for a a minute or so.  Off the heat and then rub the zest into the sugar.  The sugar will be be moist and grainy and very aromatic.  Then whisk in the eggs and the lemon juice.

Set the bowl back over the simmering water and start stirring once the mixture begins to warm up a smidge.  Cook the lime creme until it reaches 180 degrees F.  You must whisk constantly, otherwise you will end up with a bowl full of limey scrambled eggs.  Eww, gross.  Over a period of roughly the minutes, the mixture will go from wet and darker in color, to pale and thick and gloppy.  Or nearly gloppy.  If it gets downright gloppy, you've likely gone too far.  It will thicken pretty quickly, and right when it hits 180 degrees F, pour the whole lot through a fine mesh sieve into your food processor or blender.

Let the lot sit for a few, periodically giving it a gentle stir.  Once it hits 140 degrees F, turn on your blender.  Add the butter, about 5 pieces at a time, and process.  Scrape down as you need.  Once all the butter has been incorporated, let the machine whiz away for three minutes or so.  This will get air and other scientific things inside to make it all creamy and smooth and perfect.

Pour the creme into a bowl and cover (directly on the surface) with plastic wrap.  Plonk in the fridge for at least four hours (or overnight). Once ready to use, loosen a bit with a rubber spatula or wire whisk.

Sweet Tart Dough

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Blitz a few times.  Add the butter and blitz again, until it looks all nice and sandy and pebbly.  Then add the yolk and pulse again, longer pulses this time.  The dough will start to come together and if you know anything about anything, you will know when to stop and get on with it.

So, getting on with it.  Butter a 9 inch tart pan.  Then take the dough (minus a smidge you've set aside  for sinking edges and such) and press it into the pan.  Make it all nice and lovely.  Then plonk it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.  (Don't be afraid to go longer.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.  Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil, and then press the foil onto the crust.  Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes, remove the foil and go for 8 more.  Cool completely before filling with the creme.  

Before assembling, loosen the creme a bit with a whisk and pour into the tart shell.  Tis a beautiful thing.  And it will also keep quite nicely in the fridge for a few days.

Recipe from: Baking, From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.  Houghton Mifflin, 2006.