Lemon-Lime Tarts with Semolina Shortbread Crust . . . Get Your Zing On!

Tarts. They're hard to resist. So cute. So small.

Even the pans they're baked in are adorable. Those scalloped edges. The way the little round bottom part of the pan lifts out, leaving you with a pretty ring of golden crust. Tart shells cry out to be filled with something really good. Something fresh and biting . . . something, well . . . tart. 

Lemons and limes must have been designed with tarts in mind. They supply such an unmistakable zzziing! 

And everyone needs to inject a bit of zing into their life now and again, don't you think?

About this recipe . . . 

This tart dough is made, in part, with semolina flour, which comes from durum wheat. It's more yellow in hue, and slightly more coarse in texture, than regular flour. Often used to make pasta, semolina reminds me of very finely ground corn meal. It makes for a firm tart shell that's pleasantly crumbly when you finally sink your teeth into it. Nice flavor, too. You can find it in small packages in most large grocery stores these days, and reliably in fancier markets (I used Bob's Red Mill brand). The dough recipe is a very simple one adapted from this Tastebook page, that I roughly converted from gram measurements.

The lemon-lime filling I adapted from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery & Cafe, by Joanne Chang and Christie Matheson. Full of really satisfying recipes, the book is written in a friendly, matter of fact, let's-do-this-together tone. I'm a sucker for any competent cookbook author who manages not just to teach, but to reassure and embolden home bakers all in the same breath. If you want to feel intimidated don't buy this book. On the other hand, if you want to feel like you're in your kitchen working next to someone who understands that smart home baking should be an engaging and creative task, then you won't be disappointed in this delectable book.

Maybe you're wondering why I didn't top these tarts with meringue? That would have been so logical, right? Well, I almost did. Had my egg whites at the ready and everything. But then the Gods of Whipped Cream called out to me. From my refrigerator . . . 'cuz they live in there. Maybe meringue will win out next time. We'll see.

Lemon-Lime Tarts with Semolina Shortbread Crust
(For a printable version of these recipes, click here!)

Yield for tart dough: Enough to make at least 12 tart shells that are 3-4" in diameter (I used only about half of the dough, made seven tarts, and froze the rest for future use.)

Yield for tart filling: Enough to fill about 7 to 8 tart shells.

To make the tart shells:

Ingredients--
3 sticks and 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (that's 1 and 1/2 cups, plus 1 Tbsp.)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 and 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup and 1 Tbsp. semolina flour
1 and 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In the large bowl of your mixer, on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar for two or three minutes, until it looks light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, semolina flour, and salt.  With your mixer on low speed, pour this into the butter mixture in two additions. Stop to scrape the bowl and beaters between additions. Beat just until obviously blended. Don't over-mix.

If you're using tart pans that are 3" to 4" in diameter, put a glob of dough about the size of a large walnut into each one. Press with your fingers so the dough is evenly spread on the bottom and all the way up the sides of each tart pan. Be sure to gently nudge the dough closely into the scallops so the design will be firmly impressed into the shells when they're unmolded after baking. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the shells; this will help keep them from puffing up while baking. (Also, I recommend placing pie weights in muffin papers set in each tart pan over the dough. That's the best insurance to help them keep their shape as they bake.)

Place all the filled tart pans on a baking sheet with sides. Bake on the middle rack of your oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. When the shells are done baking, place them on a cooling rack for a few minutes before removing them from the pans to cool completely before filling them.

To make the lemon-lime filling:

Ingredients--
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
yolks from 3 large eggs (You can freeze those leftover whites. I do it all the time.)
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (strained to remove seeds and pulp)
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice (strained to remove seeds and pulp)
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium size saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and heavy cream. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until it starts to thicken up and looks translucent (you'll know it when you see it).

While the sugar is cooking, in a medium size heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, and lime juice together. After the sugar mixture on the stove has thickened, as noted above, pour it slowly into the bowl of yolks and juice, whisking all the while (you don't want the hot sugar to cook the eggs, so just keep on whisking). When it's all mixed in, pour it all back into the saucepan and return that to the stove. Over medium heat, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continually the entire time, now with a wooden spoon (the mixture's going to get super hot, thus it's better to do this with a wooden spoon), until it thickens. Take the pan off the heat and immediately stir in the butter and vanilla.

Scoop or spoon the hot filling evenly into the baked, cooled tart shells. Let the filling cool down somewhat before you refrigerate the filled tarts. When the tarts are cold, top them with sweetened whipped cream (toss a few tablespoons of sifted confectioners' sugar in when whipping the cream) before serving, if you like, and garnish each one with little wedges of lemon and lime, or perhaps a few raspberries or a nice big blackberry or strawberry.

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Hearty Coconut Bread . . . and, for variety, Coconut-Lime Bread with Sweet Lime Glaze

What does one do with a five-pound bag of large-shredded, unsweetened coconut? Unless you're planning to open a macaroon shop sometime soon, you probably have no business purchasing that much. Think about it bakers . . . five pounds is a lot of coconut. But when I bought it I couldn't help myself. Caught up in the moment, thrilled at the sight of this kind of coconut to begin with (only the sweet, moist, tiny-shredded stuff is ubiquitous around here), astounded at the price (less than $15.00 for the bag), and charmed by the lovely creamy color of the curly flakes . . . well, clearly it was inevitable. Maybe you would have done the same thing . . . ?

I know you're dying to ask where I obtained that moderately priced, pillow-sized bag of our favorite, indispensable, tropical staple, right? At Detroit's Eastern Market, of course. The "historic Eastern Market" (it's well over 110 years old), as it's affectionately termed, is the largest farmer's market in Michigan. Located just east of downtown Detroit, it's a relatively short drive from the small city where we live. To say that the Market is beautifully colorful is a profound understatement. It is vivid in every way--even the smells are wonderful. It's fertile territory for people watching, too, even if you're not really there to spend money. So much freshness everywhere you look--produce of every description, annuals and perennials, house plants, fresh cut flowers, unusual spices, poultry, fish and shellfish, sausages, cheeses, meats (and meat parts that you've probably never heard of and didn't know existed), nuts, dried fruits, breads, and bakery items. You name it, you can probably find it.

The morning we were there--my husband, younger son, and I--was gray and drizzly, but as the day worn on, the sun kindly appeared. I was on the hunt for really fresh patty-pan squash, along with some particular spices, and my husband hoped to find a five-pound hunk of uncured pork belly. Yes, yes, I said pork belly. Not a commonly stocked item at your neighborhood grocer, I know. In fact, I wouldn't recognize a pork belly if it sauntered into my living room with a book and curled up on the couch to read. Why does anyone want uncured pork belly, or any kind of belly for that matter? Well, Andy (the hubby), just bought a smoker. A smoker, in case you're among the uninitiated, is sort of like a barbecue grill that resembles a small black locomotive with a chimney stack. My husband wants to try and make his own bacon, among other things . . . he's adventurous that way . . . he's into charcuterie (pardon my French). So, now he's not just grillin', he's smokin' too. It'll be interesting to see what develops. (I'll keep you posted, should anything especially notable occur on that front.)

Forgive me, I digress. Back to the gigantic bag of coconut.

As you can imagine, I've been itching to use some of the flaky white stuff in a recipe and this morning I had my chance. After searching the last couple of days through cookbooks and food blogs for an enticing coconut bread recipe, the best candidate was turned up via the foodie website called Baking Bites. It comes from Bill Granger, an Australian celebrity chef who owns a restaurant where this bread is a mainstay. Word on the street is that they serve it thickly sliced, toasted, and generously buttered. It is, according to fans, to die for. That recommendation was good enough for me so I gave the recipe a whirl, and the results are in. It is very good. Fair warning though: The texture of the bread is substantive, hearty, and chewy. One slice is probably going to be plenty at one sitting, unless perhaps you're a linebacker or you're pregnant with twins. The flavor is really nice, with a slight cinnamon thread throughout. It's the kind of quick bread that can be sliced, wrapped in a napkin, tossed in a backpack or lunch-bag, and hauled out hours later still in one piece and still delicious.

Because the original recipe is so revered, I figured I'd better not fiddle with it the first time out, so I made one loaf almost exactly as indicated. Then, because you know I can't help myself when it comes to this kind of thing, I had to make another loaf with my own alterations. They are both good breads. I've listed the two recipe versions below. The second version--the Jane Version--contains the addition of lime juice, lime zest, coconut milk in place of some of the regular milk, less butter, and much less cinnamon than the original recipe. Also, my bread's version is glazed with a very light, thin, sweet lime glaze. Mmmmmm . . . yummy.



Bill Granger's Coconut Bread (very, very slightly Americanized as noted)

(For a printable version of this recipe, and the recipe below, click here!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

2 and 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar (original recipe lists caster sugar; I just used granulated)
2 cups sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut (I used unsweetened, large flake)
2 eggs, large
1 and 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted (I used unsalted)

In a large mixing bowl (don't use a mixer), whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and coconut

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture.

Stir just until combined and a few streak of flour remain.

Add in the melted butter and stir just until smooth. Don't overmix.

Pour into loaf pan and, if you like, sprinkle sugar over the top (I did this but it's not part of the original recipe). Bake for about 60 minutes (my loaves took maybe 50 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on a rack for about five minutes; turn out of pan and finish cooling on a rack.


Jane's Version: Coconut-Lime Bread with Sweet Lime Glaze

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

2 and 3/4 cups All Purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pinch cinnamon
1 cup and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar (original recipe lists caster sugar; I just used granulated)
2 cups sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut (I used unsweetened, large flake)
2 tsp. fresh lime zest
2 eggs, large
2/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup butter, melted (I used unsalted)

For the glaze ingredients, below, measurements are approximate and you can adjust them to your own taste:
1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. fresh lime zest


In a large mixing bowl (don't use a mixer), whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, lime zest, and coconut

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, coconut milk, regular milk, lime juice, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir just until combined and a few streaks of flour remain.

Add in the melted butter and stir just until smooth. Don't overmix.

Pour into loaf pan. Bake for about 60 minutes (my loaves took maybe 50 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on a rack for about five minutes; turn out of pan and finish cooling on a rack.

When the loaf is cool, mix about 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar with the 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and 1 tsp. lime zest. Stir until smooth and any sugar lumps dissolve. If too thick, add more sugar; too thin, add more juice. Pour, in a thin stream, all over the top of the loaf; let it drip down the sides. Let the loaf sit uncovered for a while so the glaze can soak in. Store the loaf loosely covered once the glaze is no longer completely wet.

Below is a picture of the coconut-lime bread . . . it's yellower than the other loaf. . . looks delish, doesn't it? It smells pretty good too. It's shown here just out of the oven, without the glaze on.

So go ahead! Cut a little slice and try it out.

What do you think? Any thoughts to share?



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Raspberry Muffins with Lime Zest Glaze . . . Breakfast is Served!

Can we talk about muffins? Specifically, raspberry muffins? Oh good. I was hoping you'd want to because these are truly captivating muffins.

Now, about raspberries . . . I tend to consider them the champagne of berries. Special, and maybe even celebratory. Being the costly little items that they are, I think I can say with certainty that they will never be bountiful in my household. They do manage to make their way over the threshold once in a while, in one of those diminutive plastic-shell containers, the entire package weighing barely more than a baby bird. You know the ones I mean. And that analogy is probably also apt because raspberries seem to require almost the same tender handling as a baby bird. Easily bruised, their shelf life is brief, so while they're viable they're simply too precious to waste. It's nice when they do make their way not only into my kitchen, but into a recipe this predictably delicious.


You can do a lot with this basic muffin recipe. It can be used with other berries and it can be flavored differently as well, if that's your preference. It's quick, uncomplicated, and just right as one component of a weekend breakfast or brunch. These muffins are sweet, but not too sweet. The tart lime-zest glaze, though delicate in its own way, lends an especially welcome little zing that dovetails perfectly with the flavors of the muffin. The texture is more muffinish than cakey, so you probably won't feel like you're eating dessert when you bite into one (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your mood and point of view). I can confidently vouch for these. I think you'll like them.


Raspberry Muffins with Lime Zest Glaze

(For a printable version of this recipe click here!)

Makes about at 12 (or 13!) muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups AP flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 to 1 cup fresh ripe raspberries (cut berries approximately in half)

Glaze:
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
3 T. of water (more or less)
1 tsp. of fresh lime juice
1 tsp. of lime zest (more or less, per your taste)

Put paper liners in your muffin cups or use nonstick baking spray.

Or, if you're a fanatic like me you might actually choose to do both. No kidding, I tend to feel the need to cover all bases whenever a muffin/cupcake pan is involved. And while we're on the subject of muffin cups, have you ever seen or tried these liners in the photo just below? They're environmentally friendly cupcake liners. Unbleached, they're made by a company in Sweden. They've been around for years so I guess you could say they were sort of ahead of their time (let's face it, Sweden's been ahead of us in a number of respects for decades but, hey, that's a post for someone else's blog). The only trouble with them is that they don't really stick very well to all muffins/cupcakes . . . hmmm . . .


Cut up your berries if they're not already pretty small.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the vanilla extract and the milk. Stir to combine.

Cool until the mixture is just warm, then whisk in the eggs.

Combine well, in a large mixing bowl, the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, blending just until combined.

Add the raspberries, folding them in gently.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. It will be pretty soupy, but don't let that stop you from using an ice cream scoop (or "disher" if you prefer) to apportion the batter. It makes the whole business less messy too; I use them all the time.

Put those babies in the oven, on the top rack to help avoid overbrowning the bottoms.

They bake pretty quickly so, knowing your own oven, check up on them accordingly. They take perhaps 16 minutes in my oven, but 15 to 20 minutes is the typical range. Take them out when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and when they're lightly golden brown on top.
Let them cool in the pan for a minute or two, then take them out and let them cool completely on a rack. Now you can make your glaze.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar with the water, adding in just enough until the consistency is thinner than gravy but not watery. Keep stirring and pressing out any little lumps in the sugar until it's all completely smooth. Add in the lime juice and the zest, stirring to combine. Taste it to see if it's zesty enough for you. If not, add in more juice and/or zest. If you prefer a thicker glaze, just add in more sifted confectioners' sugar.


Once the muffins are fully cool, they can be glazed. I dipped the tops of the muffins into a little bowl of glaze, then put them on a rack over a cookie sheet until the glaze set--not long at all. Of course, you can always brush on, or spoon on, the glaze if you like.

Now, break one open and take a bite . . . . . . isn't that good? See, I told you.


*This recipe is adapted from a combo of several fruit muffin recipes I've looked at lately on foodie websites, and from recipes in a variety of cookbooks. Muffin recipes really abound, don't they?


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