Lime Tart with Passionfruit

Weather is warming up in Sydney. The plum tree in our front garden starts to blossom, signalling the start of spring.

Little Miss C is going back to school tomorrow after a three-week winter break. Everything will be back to normal. No more sitting through 2-hour long Hannah Montana and Ice Age 3 movies with a bunch of giggling girls. No more Bratz music blasting at home. No more making of kid treats. It's going to be piece and quiet. It's going to be just me, and my kitchen.

I start to wonder. It's been a long winter. What have I done? Parted with my 8-year old online business. I sew the seed and watched it grow, and my baby is now safe under the tender loving care of my dear friend Miss M. I moved on to launch my food blog, doing something I am passionate about. I feel a little lost with fear for my future. Am I going to be content with what I am doing? Is this going to lead me somewhere?

But a trip to the beach, a walk on the sand, the blue sky, the crisp fresh spring air, I start to feel good.

I went home and made this summery lime tart with passionfruit to celebrate the start of spring.

Bill Granger's Lime Tart with Passionfruit Recipe
(Adapted from Delicious Magazine December 2007 / January 2008)
Serves 6-8

4 eggs, lightly beaten
175 g caster sugar
125 ml thick cream
160 ml lime juice (from about 6-8 limes)
Icing sugar, to dust
Creme fraiche, to serve
3 large, ripe passionfruit

Pastry:
1 2/3 cup (250 g) plain flour, plus extra to dust
125 g icing sugar, sifted
175 g chilled unsalted butter, chopped

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix the flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add 4 tbsp (80 ml) of iced water and mix to bind the dough. Form dough into a flat disc, then enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
2. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry into 3mm thick. Use to line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart pan, pressing into the pan with your fingers. Prick with a fork and chill for a further 30 minutes. Enclose any leftover pastry in plastic wrap and freeze for another use.
3. Preheat oven to 200C. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice, then put on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights, and brush with a little of the beaten egg. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Cool.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C. Whisk the caster sugar and remaining egg in a bowl with a fork. Whisk in the cream and lime juice until just combined. Pour into the pastry and bake for 25-30 minutes until just set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve with creme fraiche snf passionfruit pulp.