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Coconut Lime Tart

Coconut lime tart made with a buttery, crumbly coconut tart base and a tangy coconut lime filling is the perfect way to celebrate the end of summer flavors. This recipe comes together so easily and is a must try!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chill Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 50 minutes
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
  

For the Coconut Tart Crust

  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter cubed, chilled
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Coconut Lime Filling

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lime zest
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 3/4 cup coconut cream
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 4-5 drops liquid green food coloring optional

Instructions
 

For the Coconut Tart Crust

  • Into a food processor*, add 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp of salt. Pulse until combined.
  • Add 8 Tbsp of cold, cubed unsalted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg yolk, 1 Tbsp of heavy cream and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Pour this liquid mixture into the dry and pulse again for a few passes until the dough just starts to come together.
  • Pour the dough out onto a floured surface and work with hands for a few turns until it comes together completely. Do not overwork the dough!
  • Form the dough into a disk shape and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • After the dough has been chilling for 1 hour, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 12 minutes to come to a workable temperature.
  • Unwrap the dough and leave it on the plastic wrap. Then take another piece of plastic wrap and place it over top of the dough. Begin to roll out with a rolling pin. The plastic wrap will make the rolling out process much easier.
  • Roll the dough to a circle roughly 10" in diameter. Then remove the top piece of plastic. Slip your hand underneath the rolled out dough (your hand should be touching the bottom piece of plastic) and flip it onto your tart pan.
  • Before removing the plastic, use your knuckles to work the dough into the corners of the tart pan. Fold the excess dough over the edges of the tart. Then take your rolling pin and roll it over the top of the tart pan with slight pressure to eliminate the excess dough.
  • Remove the plastic and place the tart pan with the rolled out dough onto a plate. Cover the tart and plate loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F (roughly 190°C) when there are 15 minutes left on your timer.
  • Remove the chilled tart crust from the freezer and unwrap. Place onto a baking sheet and poke a few holes with a fork into the bottom of the chilled crust. Cover the tart loosely with foil, making sure the foil covers the edges of the crust. This will prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
  • Fill the foil with pie weights or uncooked beans and blind bake the tart crust for 24 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through.
  • Remove the tart crust from the oven and remove the pie weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
  • The crust should be a nice brown color. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to begin working on the filling.

For the Coconut Lime Filling

  • Reduce the oven to 365°F (roughly 185°C).
  • Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp of fresh lime zest into a medium bowl. Rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers for about 20 seconds or so.
  • Add 4 large egg yolks and a pinch of salt and whisk gently to combine. Add in 3/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk and 3/4 cup of coconut cream and stir with a spatula until combined. Lastly, add in 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice and stir until combined.
  • Using long strips of foil folded in half, tent (cover) the outer edges of the tart before adding in the filling.
  • Pour the filling into the slightly cooled and tented tart crust and bake for 15 minutes or until set**.
  • Remove the tart from the oven, remove the foil and allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving! Decorate how you please and enjoy!

Notes

*If you do not have a food processor, this process can be done in a bowl using a pastry cutter or a fork. The trick is you don't want to handle the dough for long with your hands because the warmth from our hands will warm the butter and we want to keep it cold! 
 
**The filling has set when you wobble the pan and the center giggles ever so slightly