Hibiscus and Lime Tarts

Looking for an easy, make ahead dessert for a dinner party? Something for an afternoon tea that can be prepared days in advance? These hibiscus and lime tarts have you covered.

This buttery shortcrust tart is filled with sharp, citrus, silky hibiscus and lime curd. And because everything in life is better with meringue, there’s a white, crisp crown on the top. I could (and have) demolish piles of these.

Most of you will know that although I love a dessert, I’m not a huge chocolate fan, so the fresh zing of this curd makes me a very happy baker indeed.

Pastry forks at the ready!

Now, I should probably start with a disclaimer.

The only thing you need to make is the hibiscus and lime curd. Of course you can make the meringue and the tart cases too but if you’re short on time and looking to impress, just make the curd. You can source short crust cases and mini meringues from most supermarkets if you’re looking to cheat your way to tart perfection. Let’s face it, amazing pastry doesn’t happen quickly.

I know some of you will be thinking, ‘hibiscus? Where do I get that!?’ The answer is tea bags. Somewhere down your supermarket tea aisle will be a box of hibiscus tea, packed full of antioxidants and South American/Caribbean vibes.

Once you’ve found them, you’re ready to make your hibiscus and lime curd and marvel at the incredible colour payoff.

The making of the curd is straight forward. Just follow the first rule of curd making and DO NOT leave your curd unattended. It needs supervision and stirring to create the glossy finish.

I’d planned on sieving out the ground up hibiscus petals before the curd set but once I’d seen the speckles through the curd I quite liked how it looked. They’re so small they are barely detectable in the texture, it’s still gloriously smooth and silky.  Pour any leftovers in to a jar for amazing toast and future tarts.

 

I like the simplicity of these tarts but you can make them as fancy as you like. Try dusting the meringue with edible glitter, add a thin layer of melted chocolate to the cases before you add the curd, I’ve even seen popping candy hidden in tarts like these. Why not?

If you wanted to try this recipe with different tea bags, you absolutely could so long as you keep lime or lemon juice in the recipe to set the curd. I’m planning on trying this soon using my favourite Sweet Rhubarb Tea from Taylors. If you try other flavours I’d love to hear how they went.

This recipe was created especially for The Flower Council of Holland and as such is hosted on their website, get the recipe for Hibiscus and Lime tarts here.