The combination of zesty lime and spicy ginger is one that I love, especially in this sweet tart. Here the crust is flavored with ginger juice and finely chopped crystallized ginger, which gives it a subtle
spiciness. It’s topped with a layer of tangy lime curd, which, in turn, is topped with a white chocolate-enriched whipped cream. Though white chocolate gets no respect in the chocolate world (in fact,
many don’t even consider it to be part of it), I love the sweet richness it adds to whipped cream, which is a perfect complement to the tart lime filling. This is the first time I’ve made this tart — I
threw it together on the fly — and I love it. If you’re a lime lover, I know that you will, too.
Yield: one 9-inch tart, serving 8
Tart Dough:
1 ½ cups (181 g) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (43 g) cake flour
3/4 teaspoon sugar
¼ plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
9 tablespoons (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and frozen for 20 minutes
3 tablespoons shortening
2 1/2 tablespoons ice water
1 ½ teaspoons ginger juice (squeeze 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger through cheesecloth to extract its juice)
Lime Curd Layer:
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup (3.5 oz/100 g) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (90 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons (2 oz/57 g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
White Chocolate Whipped Cream:
2 ounces (57 g) high-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
Make the tart dough:
1. Place the flours, sugar, salt and ginger in the bowl of a food processor and pulse few times to combine. Add the butter pieces and shortening and toss lightly with a spoon to coat them with flour. Blend the fat and flour with about five 1-second pulses or until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal with some of the butter pieces the size of peas. Sprinkle the water and ginger juice over the flour mixture and process continuously until the dough begins to clump together. Do not over-process; the dough should not form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape it into a 4-inch wide disc. Wrap disc in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes.
2. Place unwrapped dough on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, lifting and rotating the dough often, while dusting the work suface and dough lightly with flour as necessary. Roll the dough up on the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Roll the pin over the top of the pan to trim off the excess dough. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Refrigerate the dough in the pan for 20 minutes to firm up the dough.
Bake the crust:
3. Heat the oven to 350°F. Right before baking, line the dough with aluminum foil and cover with pie weights or dried beans. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift the foil (along with the weights) out of the tart pan and bake the crust for 10-15 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Leave the oven on. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the Lime Curd:
4. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium, heavy, non-reactive saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until blended. Stir in the lime juice and butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns opaque and thickens enough to leave a path on the back of a wooden spoon when you draw your finger across it. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately strain the mixture through the sieve, pressing it through with a rubber spatula. Stir in the lime zest.
Scrape the curd into the cooled tart shell and smooth it into an even layer. Refrigerate the tart while you make the White Chocolate Whipped Cream.
Make the White Chocolate Whipped Cream:
8. Place the white chocolate and 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and separate the top of the double boiler from the bottom. Let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature.
9. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Fold about half of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Pour this mixture into the rest of the whipped cream and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold it in. Do not overmix or the cream will become grainy. Scrape the cream on top of the Lime Curd Layer and spread it into an even layer. Garnish the tart with finely grated lime zest and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
