Key(-ish) Lime Tartelettes

Filling based on this recipe: https://www.marthastewart.com/342088/key-lime-tart

Crust recipe is based on the Chocolate "Porcupine" recipe by Micky Shemo: https://shemo.co.il/

When shopping for limes - I aim for shiny, smooth, thin skinned and slightly soft limes - they are juicier in my experience!

"So many egg yolks! What do I do with all the leftover egg whites?" I like to make egg-white omelettes :)

Yields: ~18-20 tartelettes

Ingredients

Crust:

• 50 grams sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1 egg (Large)
• 210 grams (1 1/2 cups) AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• [optional, if mixture is too dry] 1-2 tsp milk
• [optional, if mixture is too soft/wet] 1-2 tsp flour

Lime Filling:

• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup (~160 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (4-6 limes, depending on size and juiciness)
• Zest of 1 lime (you can zest all the limes you squeezed, and use some for the filling and most of it for garnish - see below)
• 4 egg yolks (Large)
• Pinch of salt

Whipped Cream (optional):

• 1 cup (~240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 heaping tbsp vanilla pudding powder
• 1 heaping tbsp powdered sugar

Garnish (optional):

• Mint leaves
• Lime zest (use the limes you squeezed - make sure to wash them well!)

How to Make

1. Crust dough:
1. Using a fork, mix together the flower and baking powder until combined.
2. Process butter and sugar in a food processor until combined.
3. Add egg and 1/4 of the flour mixture, continue processing for a few seconds.
4. Add the rest of the flour mixture, continue processing until a single ball of dough is formed; do not over-process; once a dough-ball is formed - stop processing.
5. Divide the dough ball to 2 equal parts, flatten each part to a disc (about 1/2 inch thick), wrap each disc in plastic-wrap, and store them in the refrigerator until use, at least 30 min.
2. Tartelette crusts:
1. Remove dough discs from refrigerator, let them sit in room temperature for a couple of minutes.
2. Knead one of the discs for a few seconds until it's a bit softer and easier to work with.
3. On a generously-flour-dusted surface, roll the disc to a sheet about 3-4 mm thick.
4. Using a ~3 1/2 inch cookie/biscuit cutter (or small bowl), cut discs out of the dough, and place them in mini-tartelette / standard muffin pan cavities. Gently press the center of each disc to the bottom of each cavity and the circumference of each disc to the sides of each cavity. 
5. [Repeat steps 2.2 - 2.4 above with the other dough disc; if there is leftover dough - knead it and roll it again to cut a couple more discs, if desired]
6. Using a fork, puncture the bottom of each disc (to prevent air-pockets).
7. Heat oven to 340F. 
8. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for at least 10 minutes. 
9. Remove pan from freezer, remove wrap. 
10. Immediately transfer pan to the oven, bake for ~9-10 minutes.
11. Take pan out of the oven, set aside in room temperature to cool down (keep crusts in the pan).
3.  Lime filling:
1. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, egg yolks and salt; whisk until smooth.
2. Carefully pour mixture into cooled down tartelette crusts (up to ~3/4 of the crust height)
3. Bake for ~11-13 minutes until the filling edges look opaque and set, and the centers still jiggle slightly (they will fully set while cooling down).
4. Cool completely in room temperature, then cover tightly (with plastic wrap or aluminum foil) and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
5. At this point, it is recommended to transfer the tartelettes to the container in which you intend to store them, and/or the serving platter on which you intend to serve them.
4. Whipped Cream [optional]:
1. In a stand mixer with a whipping balloon attachment, whip together all whipping cream ingredients on high speed until firm. 
2. Transfer cream to a pastry bag with a large round / star tip attached.
3. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (the pudding powder will further firm up the cream, so it will pipe more "sharply").
4. Frost each tartelette with some whipped cream (not a lot - a small amount goes a long way).
5. Garnish [optional]: Sprinkle some lime zest on top of the whipped cream, and/or garnish each tartelette with a mint leaf.
6. Enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.