Almond Tart with Lime and Vanilla

Crust:

1. In a food processor with a steel blade put flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
2. Add egg yolk and continue to process just until large clumps of dough form. If the dough is not setting, gradually add a little milk.
3. Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface about 3-4 mm thick and line the pie pan. It is important to create a right angle between the sides and the base of the crust, which will ensure the edges remain high when baking.
6. Using a fork create holes in the crust. Freeze the crust for about an hour.
7. Preheat oven to 170c degrees.

Blind baking:

1. Put a sheet of heat-resistant plastic wrap or baking paper on the frozen crust and fill with dry beans or special weights for baking.
2. Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
3. Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 3-4 minutes or until it is lightly golden.
4. Cool at room temperature.

Almond cream:

1. In a food processor with a steel blade, put almond meal, butter, sugar, salt and flour and blend until you get a crumbly mixture.
2. Add egg and milk and continue to blend until you get a uniform thick cream.
3. Pour the cream into the half-baked pie crust and straighten the top.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cream is golden, set at the edges but is still slightly soft in the center.
5. Cool completely at room temperature.

Lime cream domes:

1. In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for 10 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
2. In a small pot, put eggs, juice, sugar, zest and salt, and whisk well.
3. Cook the mixture over medium heat, while whisking constantly until you get a thick cream (as soon as it starts boiling, the cream is ready).
4. Add in the gelatin and mix well until it melts.
5. Add butter and stir well until incorporated.
6. Strain the cream and transfer to a silicone mold in the form of 4-5 cm domes. Straighten the top with a spatula. Keep some of the cream in a piping bag fitted with 1 cm round piping tip and refrigerate.
7. Freeze the domes for 4-5 hours or until completely frozen.
8. Remove the frozen domes from the pan and arrange on top of the almond cream.

Vanilla meringue:

1. In a small pot, put sugar and water and heat to a boil.
2. Continue to cook the syrup to the soft ball level (117-118c degrees, preferably use a sugar thermometer).
3. When the syrup reaches 105c degrees, start whipping the egg whites in a mixer bowl with a whisking attachment at medium speed.
4. Once the syrup is ready and has reached 117-118c degrees, increase the speed of the mixer and add the syrup in a thin stream to the egg whites while whipping.
5. Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes or until the meringue is very stable and shiny. At the last minute, add vanilla extract to the meringue.
6. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with 2 cm serrated piping tip and drizzle meringue mounds between the lime cream domes.
7. Using a blowtorch, gently burn the meringue.
8. Pipe the remaining lime cream in between.

Vanilla streusel:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, butter, sugar and vanilla together with your hands until a crumbly mixture is obtained.
2. Bake the crumbs at 170c degrees until golden.
3. Cool the streusel completely at room temperature.
4. Arrange pieces of streusel at the top of the tart freely.
5. Garnish with a little lime or lemon peel and mint leaves and serve.