Tart Love - Lime Curd Tarts

I needed a break from cupcakes.. this may or may not have been due to my compulsive habit of eating batter and giving myself tummy aches... And in comes my new love of tarts :) These bite sized babies are light, refreshing, and help with your fruit intake for the day. I decided to try out my tart making skills with a lime tart recipe which turned out pretty delicious.

 First thing - the dough. I was pretty scared of this since I suck at anything dough related. I found this recipe and went full speed ahead. I ended up adding some extra ice water to make the dough not as crumbly. My dough did not turn out as planned looks wise but the taste did work well with the lime curd.

Dough Recipe from Tartelette

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
5 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small slices
3 to 4 tablespoons ice cold water

Prepare the dough:
Mix together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the flour mixture and toss with fork until moistened. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. Do not handle the dough too long. Wrap into a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to relax and make it easier to roll, keeping it from becoming tough. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface, applying pressure from the center to the edges until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out six 6- inch circles onto the dough and press them into the tartlet molds or rings (or one 9 inch pan if making a larger tart). Place the rings or molds on a baking sheet. Prick the dough with a fork, apply a piece of parchment paper inside the molds and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F and when ready, bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely and remove the pie weights and paper. Keep the oven at 350F.

Second thing- the lime curd. I've never made curd before so this was almost as scary as the dough.. I tried making it in a home made double boiler but the temperature wasn't getting high enough for the mix to curd (<- right term?). I did get a pretty hard core arm work out trying though. I moved the mixture to a sauce pan over medium low heat and whisked away until I had the right consistency. 

Curd Recipe from  Joy of Baking (I used limes instead of lemons)

 

3 large eggs

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh (not bottled) lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (4 grams) lemon zest(The yellow outer skin of the lemon

Lemon Curd:  In a stainless steel bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. 

Cook, whisking or stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes pale in color and quite thick (like a hollandaise sauce or sour cream) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C on a thermometer). This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool to room temperature before filling the pastry crust. Can be made and stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

  

The Curd:

After the curd cools, spoon into tart shells and top with fruit. You might want to chill the tarts in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so it give the curd a chance to firm up. I've also just decided the word "curd" is not appealing and should be changed.