Indulge in the Best Key Lime Treats: Alma Key Lime Tart and Madelines from Hawks Cay Resort – A Tropical Delight for Your Taste Buds!
This recipe is a favorite of our very own Adventure Girl, Stef Michaels. She found the Alma Key Lime Tart & Key Lime Madelines dessert from Hawks Cay Resort on a trip to the Florida Keys. It was a hard assignment for this sweet tooth dessert loving adventure girl, but she was up for the task of trying many options.
She taste tested many of the famed key lime options at the various restaurants in the middle part of this eclectic island chain., But, she honed in on this is a delectable Madeleiens recipe and a tart recipe from Alma Restaurant at Hawks Cay Resort.
The Makings:
Tart Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Tart Filling:
- 1 Tbsp zest from a Key lime
- ½ cup juice from the limes
- 5 egg yolks
- 14 oz condensed milk
Meringue:
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
Key Lime Madeleines:
- 4 egg whites
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp juice of lime
- 1 Tbsp butter
- dusting of flour
Let’s Cook it!
Key Lime Tart Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In another bowl, combine lime zest, lime juice, egg yolks, and condensed milk. Mix well.
- Pour into crust pan(s) and bake 15 minutes or until set.
- Let cool.
Meringue:
- In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to form soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar. Set aside in refrigerator.
- Once tart is cool, pipe meringue on top. Then either lightly brown the top of meringue with a kitchen blow torch or put tarts briefly under oven broiler until golden brown.
Key Lime Madeleines:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a bowl using a mixer, beat egg whites, gradually adding sugar until ribbons start to form.
- With spatula, fold in flour.
- Fold in vanilla extract and Key lime juice.
- Coat a madeleine mold with butter and a dusting of flour. Fill each mold full with batter.
- Bake 10 minutes.
Kitchen Counter: Serves 6
Did you know?
The key lime is a citrus fruit believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and was later introduced to the Mediterranean region by traders.
There are several types:
Classic: A traditional version made with a graham cracker crust, a filling made from the fruit’s juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks, and topped with whipped cream.
Frozen: this version is frozen rather than baked. It is made with a graham cracker crust, a filling made from the citrus’ juice, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped cream, and frozen until firm.
Vegan: Made without any animal products, it’s typically made with a nut or date crust, a filling made from avocado, coconut milk, and citrus juice, and topped with whipped coconut cream.
Chocolate: This variation adds chocolate to the traditional pie recipe, either by incorporating it into the crust or the filling. It is typically topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
A little history:
Spanish sailors brought these limes to the Caribbean and the Florida Keys in the 16th century. The small, green fruit is known for its tart and tangy flavor, which makes it a popular ingredient in many dishes and drinks, including pies.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the key lime industry boomed in the Florida Keys, where the fruit was grown in large quantities for the American market.
However, a devastating hurricane in the 1920s, followed by a disease outbreak, decimated crops, leading to a decline in the lime industry.
Today, the lime is grown in several countries, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Florida Keys, where it remains a popular ingredient in local cuisine. Despite its widespread cultivation, the key lime is still considered a specialty fruit and is valued for its unique flavor and aroma.
