Table Talk

‘Twas the night before cooking class and all through the house…

…visions of Key lime Tartlets danced through my head.

After a relaxing summer off with our girls, I feel energized and ready to be back to work, teaching cooking classes, something I enjoy very much. –Its a good thing, because I have a busy week ahead of me. I am thankful my work  affords a great deal of flexibility, allowing me to balance motherhood and career. I am also thankful for my students, some of whom have been coming to my cooking classes each month for the past 7 years. It will be nice to see everyone again, and to get back into the groove.

My September classes typically feature a late summer menu. After all, it is still officially summer for one more week. I know  some of you reading this are already into chilly temperatures and baking apple crisps…we are not quite there yet . It will be in the high 80s all week, so in line with the weather, my menu is out on the grill and features a cool, refreshing dessert.

I will be making 148 of these little Key Lime Tartlets  this week… they have a crunchy shortbread crust, and pack a nice little punch of fresh lime.  You may bake the tartlets 2 days ahead (kept refrigerated), making them ideal for entertaining.

Gone in two bites, they are just right as a finish to a warm later summer meal.

Key Lime Tartlets

Shells:

1 ^1/2 cups all-purpose flour                                                                  Filling:

1/4 cup cornstarch                                                                                 5 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                                    1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Pinch of ground coriander                                                                    1/2 cup bottled Key lime juice

2/3 cup sugar

Grated zest of 1 lime

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ^1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract                                                      Garnish:

2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut                                                 Sweetened whipped cream -recipe follows

1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts                                             Zest from 1 lime

Mini Muffin Tins

For shells:

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and coriander.

Place the sugar and zest in a mixer bowl and, using your fingertips, work the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and the mixture fragrant.

Using a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and zest on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear.  Add the coconut and nuts and pulse to incorporate them.  There will probably be some dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl–don’t work them in with the mixer, just reach into the bowl and knead them in.

Pat dough into a disc , wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or for up to 2 days.

Take 1 tablespoon of chilled dough and roll into a ball. Place the dough ball in one of the mini muffin tin cups, pressing dough to come up sides of cup. Repeat with remaining dough.

Chill dough filled muffin tins for 30 minutes.

Bake in a 325 degree preheated oven 14 minutes. Remove tins from oven. Using the back of a teaspoon, press the dough down and into sides of mini muffin tin cups, to maintain shape.

Meanwhile, prepare filling:

Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Fill pre-baked tart shells with filling. Return tarts to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely in tins. Carefully remove (tarts are fragile!) from muffin tins and transfer to large baking sheet. Refrigerate at least one hour, or up to 2 days before serving.

Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and lime zest

Makes 34 tarts

Sweetened Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat cream and sugar together on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.