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THE SPICE AND HERB BIBLE Second Edition by Ian Hemphill with Recipes by Kate Hemphill Robert Rose September 2006 $22.95/trade paperback Full-color photographs throughout ISBN: 0-7788-0146-2 (Canada: $29.95/ISBN: 978-0-7788-0146-7) Book Information

If you don't have time to make pastry, use prepared short-crust pastry. Sprinkle some lime zest over it, fold and roll out with a rolling pin to the required size.

Tart Filling:
1 tablespoon (15 mL) grated lime zest
1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground green cardamom seeds
5 medium eggs (or 4 large)
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) table (18%) cream
3/4 cup (175 mL) superfine (caster) sugar

Lime Pastry:
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 mL) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (100 mL) cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tablespoons (25 mL) ice water (approx.)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) grated lime zest
Few drops vanilla
Confectioner's (icing) sugar

For the filling:
Heat lime zest, lime juice and cardamom in a small saucepan for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Whisk in eggs, cream and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

For the pastry:
Pulse flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles bread crumbs (or rub in the butter with the tips of your fingers). Transfer to a bowl. Whisk together egg yolk, ice water, lime zest and vanilla; stir into flour to make a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a firm, pliable dough, then knead gently for 20 seconds, until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line an 8- or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) tart pan with pastry and chill again until firm. Bake blind (cover with parchment paper, fill with rice and cook for 10-15 minutes), then remove paper and rice and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Turn oven down to 325ºF (160ºC).

Pour filling into pastry shell and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until set but with a very slight wobble. Let cool, remove tart pan and dust with confectioner's sugar.