Tony Jackman’s lime fridge tart. (Photo: Tony Jackman) There’s nothing diet-friendly about this. Old-fashioned fridge tarts flew in the face of any notion of keeping trim. They were all about sweetness and tang, with a lovely bit of crunch at the base.
Traditionally, the base of a South African fridge tart was made entirely of tennis biscuits (a coconut biscuit enormously popular in the country) mixed with melted butter and compacted into the butter-greased base of a tart tin or dish.
My variation adds 100g of raw macadamia nuts, finely ground (in a food processor), and extra butter to handle the extra weight.
My earlier citrus fridge tarts used one can of condensed milk, but to this one I’ve added a can of evaporated milk, which I whisked intensely, and 200ml whipped cream. Because of the extra bulk, I also used 15g of gelatine granules dissolved in water.
Finally, I simmered thin lime slices in a sugar syrup, cooled them, and used them and the syrup to decorate the top of the tart once set.
Tony Jackman’s lime fridge tart
(Makes 1 large tart)
Ingredients
For the base:
200g butter, melted
1 packet tennis biscuits, crushed
100g raw macadamia nuts, ground
For the fridge tart:
1 x 385g can condensed milk
1 x 380g can evaporated milk, whisked
Juice and finely grated zest of 3 limes
200ml fresh cream, whisked until soft peak stage
A drop of green food colouring (optional)
Lime slices, simmered in a sugar syrup
50g sugar
100ml water
15g gelatine granules
Method
Put all the tennis biscuits in a deep bowl (otherwise the crumbs will spill out) and crush them by rubbing them with your fingers. I did this while watching TV; it takes a while but is a pleasant pastime.
Pour the macadamias into a food processor and blitz until fine.
Add the crushed macadamias to the crushed tennis biscuits and stir.
Melt the butter and stir in.
Grease a 26cm pie dish.
Pour the crushed mixture into the dish and work it to the edges with your hands. Use your palms and closed fist to push down gently so that the mixture becomes compacted. This ensures a firm crust that will cut well when serving. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Pour the condensed milk into a deep bowl, being sure to scrape the insides of the can so as not to waste any of it.
Whisk the evaporated milk separately.
Pour 100ml of this into a small pot and reserve.
Fold the remaining whisked evaporated milk into the condensed milk, along with a drop of green food colouring if using (I did).
Whisk the cream to soft peak stage and fold into the condensed milk-evaporated milk mixture.
Zest 2 limes, finely. While stirring continuously, drizzle in the juice of 2 limes, then stir in the zest. Reserve the third lime for decorating the tart later.
Heat the reserved evaporated milk. Sprinkle the gelatine over and let it settle, then stir or whisk it into the filling mixture. If it has formed lumps or streaks, pour it in through a sieve.
While stirring, drizzle this gelatine blend into the mixture.
Remove the tart dish from the fridge and pour in the filling
Carefully place it on a rack of the fridge and close the door gently. It needs at least 5 or 6 hours to set properly, or preferably overnight.
In a small pot, heat the sugar and water and add the lime slices. Simmer for about half an hour, keeping an eye on it while the liquid reduces by about two-thirds. Let it cool.
Once the tart has set, place lime slices attractively on top to decorate, drizzling a little of the syrup over too if you like. Grate the zest of the third lime over to finish it off. DM
Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.
Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.