Cashew Crusted Blackberry & Lime Tart

Here it is…the day before Valentine’s Day! Oh and it also happens to be Friday the 13th, which is a bit disconcerting. Anyhoo… Have you baked up a little something special for your sweetie? I know some folks were suspicious that my Valentine would be getting those irresistible Salted Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich Cookies that I blogged about a few days ago. Now those were right up my alley! Alas, as I mentioned, the husband does not have any trouble resisting Peanut Butter treats whatsoever. (Yay! More for me…) No. Definitely. NOT up his alley. Nor likely anywhere on his map! So I’d have been a pretty horrible wifey to offer those up to him. Luckily I’m not that clueless and know exactly what he likes. Believe you me I have earned some serious Valentine’s Day points from him by making this Cashew Crusted Blackberry & Lime Tart. For the husband, and perhaps some other of you fruit dessert loving folks out there, this is the dessert that is irresistible.

So what we’ve got here is a crispy graham cracker/cashew crust holding a creamy, sweet and tart lime curd filling, all crowned with the husband’s favourite fruit, fresh blackberries. Yup…this might possibly be the confection of his dreams!

And the big win for me, besides my darlin’s everlasting devotion (just imagine the fluttering cupids), is that it was really pretty easy to make. Truth be told, I made this over a couple of days, lime curd first, crust the next and saved the final assembly until I was ready to surprize him.

Though I will say that the crust and filling are both pretty quick and low impact to make, so this tart could easily be made on the day you need it. Like maybe tomorrow?

So if you’ve got a significant other like mine who will shun the chocolate dessert to make a beeline straight for the fruit filled offering, take note of this Valentine’s Day indulgence. You know what they say…the way to a man’s heart and all that!

• Servings: One 9 inch Tart
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: My Cup is Full and Food Network (for the Cashew/Graham Crust)

Ingredients:

For the Cashewed Graham Cracker Crust:

• 2 cups cashews, finely ground
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (digestive biscuits are a good substitute for grahams)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup melted and cooled butter

For the Lime Curd Filling:

•  1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temp
• 2 egg yolks, at room temp
• 1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons (5 oz.) fresh lime juice

For the Topping:

12 ounces fresh blackberries

Fresh whipped cream for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch tart pan and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the cashews, graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and the melted butter. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of the tart pan.

Bake the crust for 8 -10 minutes until it is set. Set aside to cool on wire rack.

Next, make the lime curd (just a note, you could make up the lime curd a day or two beforehand and store in the fridge covered with plastic wrap).

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next.

Pour in the lime juice and continue to mix until combined (you may need to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl). This is the point at which I have to tell you not to freak out, because I might have, just a bit. Once you add the lime juice, your lovely creamy sugar/butter/egg mixture will go all curdled. Just take a deep breath and say “All will be fine.” As you heat and whisk the mixture in the next step, the lovely creamy mixture will once again appear.

Pour the curd mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continually with a whisk until the mix is smooth.

Increase the heat a touch and keep whisking until the mixture has thickened and has reached a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit

Remove the curd from the heat and transfer to a heat-resistant bowl (such as glass), and cover with plastic wrap pressed to the top of the curd. Allow it to come to room temperature and then chill it in the refrigerator before putting in the crust.

Once the crust is cooled and your curd is chilled, scoop the curd into the center of the crust, spreading evenly to the edges with the back of a spoon.

Finally, arrange your berries over the top of the tart.

Enjoy!

Cashew Crusted Blackberry & Lime Curd Tart brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)