Key Lime Tart
(Dessert)

INGREDIENTS (Crust)

3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

INGREDIENTS (Filling)

4 teaspoons grated lime rind
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
4 large pasteurized egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

INGREDIENTS (Meringue)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 large pasteurized egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add butter and oil; pulse 5 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle flour mixture with water and vinegar; pulse 10 times or just until combined. Gently press mixture into a 3-inch circle on plastic wrap, and cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Unwrap and place chilled dough on plastic wrap. Cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 10-inch circle. Fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press dough against bottom and sides of pan. Pierce bottom of dough with a fork. Line bottom of dough with a piece of parchment paper; arrange pie weights on paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 16 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Remove pie weights and parchment paper; bake an additional 5 minutes or until bottom of crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

To prepare filling, combine rind, juice, egg yolks, and milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until set. Remove tart from oven; place on a wire rack.

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

To prepare meringue, place cream of tartar and egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form; beat in vanilla. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing to edge of crust. Make peaks with the back of a spoon (shown here). Bake at 425 degrees for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Calories: 287 (22% from fat). Fat: 7g (sat 2.5g, mono 3.4g, poly 0.7g). Protein: 8.2g. Carbohydrate: 48.1g. Fiber: 0.4g. Cholesterol: 113mg. Iron: 1.3mg. Sodium: 118mg. Calcium: 157mg.

SERVINGS: 8 (serving size: 1 piece)

This lightnened recipe has 111 fewer calories and 70 percent less fat than the original. But you'll taste 100 percent of the cool, tart creaminess of this classic summer dessert. Before pasteurized egg whites were widely available, meringues were made with raw egg whites, which required extended baking to reach the recommended safe temperature. A common result was a watery meringue. Using a pasteurized product reduces the baking time to just long enough for the meringue to become a beautiful golden brown.

Recipe from Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005.