I love lime, even more than lemon and use it often.  This recipe is kind of  a cross between lime curd and key lime pie filling.  It is essentially a lime custard but with lots of butter and whipped up until it is creamy, inspired by a recipe for Lemon Cream from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking and a recent post from scarpetta dolcetto.  Once completed, this can be used for anything you would normally use a lemon or lime filling for such as tarts, pies, as a cake or cupcake filling, with angel food cake, scones or just on toast and put in a nice jar, it makes a great gift.

Printable Lime Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup lime juice (about 6 limes)

grated zest from 6 limes (you can use less if you prefer a sweeter result – I like it tart with strong lime flavor)

3 sticks butter softened

If you have a bain marie (fancy name for double boiler) use it, if not, find either two pots that fit inside each other, or you can do what I do to save on dishes, find a pan the will fit your mixer’s bowl.  Fill with a couple of inches of water so that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl and heat until the water is simmering.

In the bowl or pan you intend to use, mix the sugar and lime zest together.

Whisk in the eggs, then the juice.

Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture thickens and reaches 180 degrees.

When thickened, place in a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment and begin to whisk until it cools to 140 degrees.

Begin adding the butter several teaspoons at a time.  Once all the butter is incorporated, continue mixing on medium to high-speed (as high as you can get without it flying out of the bowl) whisking for 5 minutes.

Pour into a bowl and cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.