Wednesday, January 11, 2007
I do occasionally bake something other than bread, although I can't stay away from it for very long.
Tuesday night was book club night, and my assignment was to bring one of the desserts. The main claim to fame of our book club is that in addition to dinner, we always have two desserts. I think it started as an accident once--the salad person made a mistake and brought dessert, and so we had two desserts and no salad. As with so many happy accidents, the wisdom of this became immediately apparent. These bars are from Food and Wine's series of simplified restaurant desserts. The original is a Key lime tart with almond cream topped by lime curd from Fauchon. Omitting the almond cream layer and the tart pan, it becomes a classic, and easy, bar.
PASTRY
2 T. salted roasted almonds
1/4 c. confectioner's sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
LIME CURD
2 large eggs
1/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
1/2 t. grated lime zest
9 T. cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1. Pulse almonds and confectioners' sugar in food processor. Add butter and pulse until smooth. Pulse in egg and vanilla. Add flour and process until blended. Press pastry into 8x11-inch glass baking dish, pressing it up the side. Chill until firm.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Price pastry with fork and bake for 25 minutes. Cool.
3. Make lime curd. In heatproof bowl set over pan of simmering water, cook eggs, sugar, lime juice and zest, whisking, until thickened (about 7 minutes). Set bowl into ice water bath and stir until it cools slightly. Whisk in butter until mixture is smooth. Let cool at room temperature for about an hour.
4. Pour lime curd into pastry and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Cut into bars and serve with dollop of whipped cream.
-Adapted from Food and Wine
7 comments:
Sounds wonderful and I love the idea of two desserts, but why not more!
Lime bread? =)
- Chubbypanda
Alison, you must not yet have reached the age where one dessert registers immediately as two extra pounds on the scale and two desserts as five. Two desserts is about as daring as I can be.
Chubbypanda,
Lime bread? An intriguing thought...it could be a lime quick bread, maybe made with sour cream and a lime juice-powdered sugar glaze? Or maybe a stollen-like bread perked up with grated lime peel? I like the possibilities.
Do I remember correctly, that Jim and the other husbands go out together on your book night. Are they allowed to partake in the desserts, since you have so many?... I think I already know the answer. Cheers, Melinda
Melinda,
I think you already know the answer too. But this time I did, in fact, have two leftover lime bars, which I shared with Jim.
Very generous of you. Melinda
Marie,
You put together 2 things I love baking with - almonds and limes.
I love cooking with limes, lemons and oranges. Their refreshing flavor and delicious smell are always welcome in the kitchen.
As for having 2 desserts, I say "the more the merrier" :D
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