If there's one thing The Seaside Baker blogger Jackie Bruchez knows, it's the sweet spot between fresh ingredients and luxurious desserts. In her new cookbook, Decadent Fruit Desserts($22), there is a little something comforting for everyone in more than 60 recipes, such as grilled peaches and a banana-chocolate pot de crème with cognac sauce. At the heart of each recipe is a key fruit ingredient, meant to shine as the star of the show. Bruchez elaborates in the intro of her book, “Transforming fruit, be it apples or oranges or more exotic varieties like dragon fruit, into a decadent, sophisticated, blow-your-mind dessert is the revelation I want to share with you." You don't have to just take our word for it. The paloma tart recipe below takes the tequila-grapefruit drink and morphs it into a bright and snappy multi-layered fruit tart.
Paloma Tart
(Serves 8-10)
Baker's Note: When making the curd, it is necessary to whisk the egg yolks and sugar before adding the citrus juice to avoiding curdling.
Ingredients:
Crust:
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime zest, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup coconut, shredded
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Grapefruit Tequila Curd:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
- 2 cups grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold
- 1 tablespoon tequila, optional
Whipped Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon lime zest, freshly grated
- lime and grapefruit wedges, for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make the crust. In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, flour, salt, lime zest, and coconut until they're well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and lime juice; mix to combine them until moist clumps form. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
3. Bake the crust until it's golden brown, about 23 to 25 minutes. Cool it for 10 minutes.
4. While the crust is cooling, make the curd. In a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized pot, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until it's light and pale. Whisk in the salt, grapefruit zest, juice, and cornstarch. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat and cook the curd until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat; stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, and then add the tequila, if using.
5. Pour the warm curd into the crust; let it sit for 30 minutes, then transfer the tart to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Right before serving, make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and lime zest on high until stiff peaks form.
7. Dollop the cream onto the tart and garnish it with lime and grapefruit wedges.
RELATED: The Spicy Paloma Cocktail *Made* for Daytime Drinking
(Reprinted with permission from Decadent Fruit Desserts by Jackie Bruchez, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Jackie Bruchez.)
