Makrut Lime Meringue Cakes With Lime Scented Papaya Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the makrut lime leaves or lime zest in a bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Repeat until the leaves are curled and brittle or the zest is dry and crumbly. Finely chop the leaves, if using. Set aside a large pinch of chopped leaves or zest, then sift the remaining leaves or zest with the confectioners' sugar, pushing them through the sifter.
• In a mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar, then gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar and continue whisking until the peaks are firm and glossy. By hand, fold in 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla and the confectioners'-sugar mixture.
• Drop 6 grapefruit-size dollops of meringue onto the baking sheet. Create a well in the center of each mound. Press the remaining makrut lime leaves (or lime zest) through a sifter to dust the meringue tops. Put the baking sheet in the oven, close the door and turn off the heat. Leave for 4 hours.
• In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, whisk together 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup sugar, cream, egg yolks, salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Cover and cool.
• Just before serving, mix the papaya, remaining lime juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest and chili. Place a meringue on each of 6 plates. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons custard into the well of each meringue, and top with papaya. Sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon sea salt.

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and Crisco and pulse about 10 times until the butter is in small bits. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough and fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pan or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of the pan. Line the tart shell with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill it with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
• Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• For the meringue, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until frothy. With the mixer still running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until the meringue is thick and shiny, about 2 minutes.
• Immediately spread the lime filling in the cooled tart shell and pipe the meringue over it with a large star tip. Be sure the meringue covers the entire top and touches the edges of the shell, to prevent it from shrinking. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 1 minute. On low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Don't worry; it will look curdled.
• Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until thick, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Whisk briskly when it starts to thicken and cook over low heat for a minute or two, whisking constantly. Don't allow it to boil! It will be 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
• Yield: 3 cups

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Heat oven to 350°F. with rack in middle. Butter cake pans, then line bottoms with rounds of parchment. Dust pans with additional flour, knocking out excess.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes more. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
• Divide batter between cake pans, spreading it evenly. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool for 15 minutes in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around sides of pans, invert cake layers onto racks, and cool completely.
• For Filling:
• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, then whisk in 3/4 cup water and juice until smooth. Whisk together eggs in a medium heat-proof bowl until well combined.
• Bring juice mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring with whisk, then reduce heat and continue to cook at a slow boil, stirring with whisk, 1 minute (mixture will be thick). Remove pan from heat.
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, stirring with whisk. Stir egg mixture into juice in pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, just until it reaches a simmer. Remove pan from heat and add butter and zest, stirring until butter is melted.
• Cover filling with a buttered round of wax paper or parchment paper and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
• For Frosting:
• Combine frosting ingredients in a large bowl with electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment). Beat at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Assemble Cake:
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or a large plate and spread with one-third of filling (about 2/3 cup).
• Stack remaining cake layers using half of remaining filling between each layer.
• Spread top and side of cake generously with frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250° (F) Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment or foil.
• Beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Add sugar very slowly, beating well between additions, until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
• Fold in lime zest and vanilla.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets or pipe small kisses with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.
• Bake until dry, but not brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 2 to 3 minutes before removing from baking sheets.