Whether you're a pastry professional like Cheryse Zagler, or just a keen amateur, you'll be very glad you attempted this tastebud-tingling tart.

Recipe Cheryse Zagler | Photographs Aubrey Jonsson

Lime & tequila tarts
Makes 1 large or 8 small tarts

lime & tequila cream
4 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
230g fresh lime juice
zest of 2 limes
250g caster sugar
300g cold unsalted butter (diced)
30ml tequila or more if you feel like it

Combine whole eggs and egg yolk in a mixing bowl with caster sugar and whisk until lighter in colour and texture. Whisk in lime juice and zest. Cook over a bain-marie on medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture forms thick ribbons when drizzled from the whisk. Take off heat and bain-marie and allow to cool for 10 minutes, whisking every couple of minutes. Using a stick blender, blend in cold diced butter and tequila until all incorporated. Set in fridge for minimum 4 hours or overnight.

Italian meringue
100g caster sugar
150g cold water
50g room temperature egg whites

Combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, ensuring the sugar has fully dissolved. Using a candy thermometer, cook over medium heat until the temperature reaches 118C. Meanwhile, in an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. When the hot syrup is ready, pour it in a thin stream over the beating egg whites and keep whisking until the mixture has cooled.

sweet vanilla bean pastry
250g plain flour sifted
190g cold unsalted butter (diced)
95g icing sugar sifted
pinch of salt
½ a vanilla bean pod
1 whole large egg

In an electric mixer using a paddle attachment mix the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and cold diced butter until a sand-like texture appears. Mix in the whole egg until the dough just comes together and forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and rest for half an hour. Spray a 22cm non-stick fluted flan shell or eight 10cm flan shells with canola spray.

Preheat oven to 170C with oven rack in the centre of the oven. Take the pastry out of the fridge and let sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy rolling. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to approximately a 30cm circle or eight smaller circles, then place gently into your prepared flan shell, giving enough overhang to play with. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the pastry to fit the flan shell. Wrap tart shell in cling film and rest in the freezer for 30 minutes to prevent shrinking.

Remove from freezer and unwrap. Press baking paper tightly against the pastry crust, and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice, making sure they are evenly distributed over the surface and level to the top of shell.

To fully bake the crust, place shell in preheated oven for 18 minutes, then turn and reset timer for approximately 7 minutes. Ensuring the top of the pastry is golden brown in colour. Take out of oven, remove paper and pie weights. Beat an egg yolk with a splash of milk. Brush over bottom of pastry and re-bake for 4 minutes to ensure the base is fully cooked. Times may vary. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To assemble tart, pour in your set lime and tequila cream. Cover with Italian meringue and smooth over using a spatula. Toast the top of the Italian meringue with a blow torch until golden in colour.

Lightly dust tart with icing sugar.

 

This recipe first appeared in the May 2021 issue of SALIFE magazine.