Blueberry Lemon Cream Tart
Makes 4 desserts.  1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest 1 1/3 cups blueberries (6 oz) Confectioners sugar for dusting Special equipment: 4 (3 3/4-inch) nonstick fluted tart pans or 4 (8-oz) ramekins  Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture with your fingers and back of a spoon evenly and firmly onto bottom and up side of each tart pan. (If using ramekins, press mixture 3/4 inch up sides.) Put tart pans on preheated baking sheet and bake crusts until slightly darker, about 10 minutes, then cool 10 minutes on a rack. (Ramekins will need to cool an additional 5 minutes in refrigerator.) Gently push bottom of each tart pan to loosen crust, then invert crust onto your hand and place on a serving plate. (If using ramekins, leave crusts in ramekins.) |
Coconut Tart
2/3 cup whole milk
2 large whole eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut (5 ounces)
Equipment: a pastry or bench scraper; pie weights or dried beans; a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with removable bottom
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until edge is pale golden and side is set, 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until deep golden all over, 10 to 18 minutes more.
Key Lime Pie
Border Grill, Santa Monica CA
1/2 cup cold lard or unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
about 1/3 cup ice water
pie weights or raw rice for weighting shell
For filling
1 pound cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
a 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
1 cup crème fraîche
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Garnish: 8 lime slices
Cut butter or lard into bits. In a bowl with a pastry blender or your fingertips blend all pastry shell ingredients except ice water until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in enough ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a dough. Form dough into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate.
Trim dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, and crimp edge. Prick shell all over with a fork. Chill shell 30 minutes.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Gourmet | May 1995
| Makes one 9- to 10-inch single crust pie. For shell 1 recipe for a single-crust 9- to 10-inch pie raw rice or pie weights for weighting shell For filling For meringue Make shell: On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 13-inch round, (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9-inch (1-quart) pie plate. Trim edge of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, and crimp edge decoratively. Prick shell in several places with a fork and chill, covered, 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line shell with wax paper and fill with rice or pie weights. Bake shell in middle of oven 10 minutes. Remove paper and rice carefully and bake shell until golden, about 12 minutes more. |
Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
Make filling:
In a heavy saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt and gradually whisk in water and milk, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved.
Make meringue:
In another bowl with an electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks.
Pour filling into shell and spread meringue on top, covering filling completely, sealing it to pastry.
Draw meringue up into peaks and bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden, about 15 minutes.Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
Make filling:
In a heavy saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt and gradually whisk in water and milk, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved.
Make meringue:
In another bowl with an electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks.
Pour filling into shell and spread meringue on top, covering filling completely, sealing it to pastry.
Draw meringue up into peaks and bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden, about 15 minutes.
