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Alan Solomon

The Chicago Tribune

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Here's a delicious tart made with key lime juice. The key lime mixture is baked in a homemade tart shell, then cooled. Top the tart with whipped cream and toasted coconut. I garnished the tart in the photo below with edible flowers.

Recipe of the Month

Key Lime Coconut Tart
Serves approximately 10

Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

Filling
8 large eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups Key lime juice

Topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 envelope Knox gelatin
3 tablespoons water
2 cups coconut


*To make the crust* Line a 10 or 11 inch tart pan with 2 inch sides and a removable bottom with a circle of parchment paper. (This is called a French tart pan. It is important to have a tart pan with 2 inch sides to accommodate the filling.) Spray the parchment paper with nonstick food spray. Spray the sides of the tart pan with non-stick food spray. If you don't have a tart pan with high sides, you could substitute a 10 inch spring form pan. Line the pan bottom as directed above. Place crust all the way up the sides of the pan and on the bottom.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the softened butter and pulse to combine.

With the processor running, add the eggs through the feed tube. Pulse to combine until the dough comes together.

This is a shortbread crust and cannot be rolled out. Place pieces of dough in the prepared pan and, using your fingers, press. I like to do the sides first then finish with the bottom of the tart. Freeze the lined tart pan for 30 minutes or up to one day.

*Pre baking the tart shell.* Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the frozen tart pan with foil. Fill with pie weights or dry beans (I use dry beans then save them for the next time I need to pre bake a tart.) Place the tart shell on a baking sheet pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 14 minutes.

Remove the foil. Continue baking for 8 more minutes to pre cook the bottom of the tart shell.

*Making the key lime filling* While the tart shell is baking, make the key lime filling. Combine all of the key lime filling ingredients. Whisk to combine. Strain mixture (to get rid of any egg yolk bits) and place the mixture in a pitcher. Without taking the tart shell out of the oven, pour the filling into the pre baked pie shell. By pouring the filling in while the shell is still in the oven, you avoid having to move the tart too much and avoid spilling the filling. Bake the tart in the 325 oven until the filling is set and lightly browned - about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature. Remove the sides of the tart pan. Carefully move the tart off of the bottom of the tart pan. The parchment lining should make this fairly easy. Place the tart on a serving plate and refrigerate while making the whipped cream topping and coconut.

Place the coconut on a baking sheet. Toast for 4 to 5 minutes in the 325 degree oven until the coconut is lightly toasted. Remove and cool. Place the bowl of your mixer in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will help make your whipped cream whip better. Place the whipped cream in the chilled bowl. Place the Knox gelatin in a small pan. Place water in the pan. Place on a burner on low and, mixing constantly, melt the gelatin. This will only take about 20 seconds. Start whipping the cream using a wire whisk attachment. When it almost forms stiff peaks, slowly add the sugar. Continue whipping until sugar is combined. With the mixer still going, slowly add the dissolved gelatin (see photo.) The gelatin will keep the whipped cream from "weeping" and will make it stay nice if refrigerated for several days.

Place the whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe onto the chilled tart.
Top with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve.