8tablespoons(113 g) cool, unsalted butter, in ½-inch dice
1cup(200 g) organic granulated sugar
pinchsalt
finely grated zest from 2 large limes, plus more for finishing
3large eggs
2large egg yolks
¾cup(175 ml) fresh, strained lime juice (from about 5 large, juicy limes)
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
finely grated lime zest, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the gluten-free tart crust and bake it fully, then press with the back of a spoon as directed. The tart crust can be made ahead and kept at room temperature for 1 day, refrigerated for up to 4 days, and frozen for up to several months.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325ºF.
Filling
Place the butter in a heatproof bowl or large measuring cup, place a fine-mesh strainer over the top, and set aside.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, lime zest, eggs, and egg yolks to combine. Whisk in the lime juice.
Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and reaches 170ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 5–10 minutes. As you stir, be sure to scrape the entire bottom and corners of the pan, so that the mixture heats as evenly as possible. It will start out thick and cloudy from the undissolved sugar, then will turn thin and translucent, and finally begin to thicken and turn cloudy again as the eggs cook. If the mixture starts to curdle or bubble, immediately remove from the heat and proceed to the next step.
Immediately pour the curd through the strainer and into the bowl of butter to stop the cooking. Whisk gently to incorporate the butter. Pour the cooked curd into the warm, baked crust.
Bake
Bake the tart at 325ºF until the sides are barely puffed and the center wobbles like firm Jell-O when you give it a gentle shake, 15-25 minutes. It should not be wet or watery looking (underbaked), nor should it be puffed in the center or cracking (overbaked), but a few small bubbles popping around the sides are perfect. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool for about 30 minutes, then chill until firm, 2–3 hours or overnight.
Remove the tart pan sides by placing the tart atop a large can or small, inverted bowl and gently easing the sides from the tart. Top with whipped cream and lime zest, cut into wedges, and serve.
The tart is best within the first 2 days of baking when the crust is firm, but keeps well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Unlike most lime pies, there’s no sweetened condensed milk or raw eggs here, just a shortbread-like crust filled with buttery curd.
Do yourself a favor and choose limes that are yellow-green and thin skinned – these tend to be ripe and juicier than their forest green counterparts.
Be sure to make this well in advance of serving as it needs to chill for 3 hours.