Lime season is just around the corner, and it’s just the time to make some lime desserts! Instead of going with the flow, I decided to make something a little more unique with lime, and combined it with almonds and vanilla in one beautiful almond tart.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Almond Tart with Lime and Vanilla
Servings 24 cm round tart pan
Ingredients
For short crust pastry:
- 150 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams cold butter cut into cubes
- 40 grams icing sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2 tbsp. cold water as needed
For the almond cream:
- 100 grams almond meal
- 100 grams cold butter cut into cubes
- 100 grams sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 20 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp. milk
For lime cream domes:
- 2 grams gelatin powder
- 10 ml. water
- 2 large eggs
- 75 ml. lime juice
- 75 grams sugar
- Zest of 2 limes
- Pinch of salt
- 50 grams soft butter
For vanilla meringue:
- 2 large egg whites
- 30 ml. water
- 120 grams sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For vanilla streusel:
- 50 grams all-purpose flour
- 50 grams cold butter cut into cubes
- 50 grams light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Decoration:
- Lime or lemon zest
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Crust:
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In a food processor with a steel blade put flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
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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.
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Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
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Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
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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.
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Using a fork create holes in the crust. Freeze the crust for about an hour.
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Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
Blind baking:
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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.
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Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
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Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 3-4 minutes or until it is lightly golden.
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Cool at room temperature.
Almond cream:
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In a food processor with a steel blade, put almond meal, butter, sugar, salt and flour and blend until you get a crumbly mixture.
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Add egg and milk and continue to blend until you get a uniform thick cream.
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Pour the cream into the half-baked pie crust and straighten the top.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cream is golden, set at the edges but is still slightly soft in the center.
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Cool completely at room temperature.
Lime cream domes:
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In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for 10 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
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In a small pot, put eggs, juice, sugar, zest and salt, and whisk well.
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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).
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Add in the gelatin and mix well until it melts.
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Add butter and stir well until incorporated.
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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.
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Freeze the domes for 4-5 hours or until completely frozen.
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Remove the frozen domes from the pan and arrange on top of the almond cream.
Vanilla meringue:
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In a small pot, put sugar and water and heat to a boil.
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Continue to cook the syrup to the soft ball level (117-118c degrees, preferably use a sugar thermometer).
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When the syrup reaches 105c degrees, start whipping the egg whites in a mixer bowl with a whisking attachment at medium speed.
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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.
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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.
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Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with 2 cm serrated piping tip and drizzle meringue mounds between the lime cream domes.
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Using a blowtorch, gently burn the meringue.
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Pipe the remaining lime cream in between.
Vanilla streusel:
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In a small bowl, combine flour, butter, sugar and vanilla together with your hands until a crumbly mixture is obtained.
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Bake the crumbs at 170c degrees until golden.
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Cool the streusel completely at room temperature.
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Arrange pieces of streusel at the top of the tart freely.
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Garnish with a little lime or lemon peel and mint leaves and serve.
Recipe Notes
- You can make the tart with lemon, grapefruit or any other citrus fruit that likes to diversify flavors.
- Keep the tart in a closed container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- I decorated the tart with lemon peel to give it a contrast to the green mint leaves and turn it into a bit more colorful, but a green lime peel would work just as well.