Key Lime Tart (vegan, gf, raw)

RAW KEY LIME TART:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ lime, to slice and dehydrate for decoration

Crust: (recover the amounts)

• 3/4 c ground almonds

• ½ c ground cashews

• ½ c ground pecans

• 1/2 c unsweetened flaked coconut

• 1/2 c dates, soaked

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling:

• 1 1/3 c cashew, soaked overnight

• 1 can coconut condensed milk

• ¾ c. coconut cream

• Zest of 2 limes (~2 tbsp.)

• ¼ c. cane sugar

• 1/3 c. coconut oil, melted, or softened

• ¾ c. fresh lime juice (5-6 regular limes)

METHOD:

(!) Soak the cashews 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.

(2) While cashews are soaking, thinly slice limes (using a mandolin makes them consistently-sized and wafer thin; quicker to dehydrate)and lay on parchment-covered cookie sheet. Dehydrate in the oven for about 2 hours at 200F. When completely dried and cooled, place in air-tight container until needed. Dehydrated lime is another new go-to….it’s like amazing sugar-free candy; a big pop of flavour!

(3) In a food processor, combine the nuts until about size of coarse grounds of coffee. Add the coconut, salt and pulse a few times. Finally, add dates& vanilla and pulse until dates are uniformly combined. Crumble should be moist enough to squeeze and the crumble sticks together.

(4) Evenly distribute crust crumble to *9” tart pan (on bottom and up sides of pan). When firmly packed, keep in freezer until filling is ready. This step can be completed a day in advance if preferred. *Note, the tart pan has a removable bottom, like a springform so you can remove easily for serving.

(3) In a high-powered blender under soup or sauce setting, combine all the tart filling ingredients until smooth and homogeneous. Gently pour into tart shell. Place in freezer for at least 4 hours, and keep frozen until use.

(4) Take out 20 mins before desired serving time and let thaw on counter. You can thaw in the fridge for an hour before serving. Keep any leftovers (as if!) refrigerated or frozen.

To decorate, use dehydrated (and fresh slices if you like) lime slices. If you feel extra fancy, grab some coconut cream to make whip cream, and use a piping bag to decorate or use a dollop with each serving.

So this recipe was the brainchild of my last birthday. I wanted two cakes (yes, two, don’t judge me!) because, put simply, i couldn’t decide between the two and wanted to experience both dessert beasts. I’ve always wanted to make an authentic key lime pie, but seeing the recipe design was more akin to lemon meringue pie, I was in the mood for a lighter, more summery fare. This tart baby was birthed into absolute deliciousness….tarty, flavourful, rich, smooth, and easy on tum-tum. I will at some point trial the old fashioned key lime pie, but until then, this is my new go-to.

I also used regular limes…key limes aren’t always available where i live, and I wanted to see the results with regular limes. Still absolutely fantastic.

If you’re wondering the difference of the ‘regular’ (Persian) limes vs. Key limes, and want to nerd out, check out some lime history :

Key limes vs. Persian limes

ImageSource:https://craves.everybodyshops.com/whats-the-difference-between-limes-and-key-limes/

Here are some key differentiators:

① Key limes, also known as Mexican or West Indian limes, are more aromatic, with tarter and more floral juice.

② They are slightly yellow in color and contain more seeds.

③ Though less common in the U.S., they’re more prevalent throughout the rest of the world.

(Source: www.thetastingtable.com)

Frankly, often I prefer limes to lemons, so any lime is a delicious lime in my world. I also chose to use a grain-free crust (read: not a graham cracker crust) for the wheat and sugar factor. This raw nut crust is amazing and flexible to your taste—you can play with different nut types for different texture and flavour nuances. Also, you are getting your dose of vitamins and minerals with these lovely ingredients!

Yum-a-dum-dum deliciousness!