Mini Lime Pies With Glazed Berries

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3/8 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 cups mixed berries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5-7 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. 1

   For Pastry Dough:.

2. 2

   Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

3. 3

   5 tablespoons for a double-crust pie evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

4. 4

   Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough. Turn out dough onto a work surface. For a single-crust pie, divide dough into 4 portions; for a double-crust pie, divide dough into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. For a single-crust pie, press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. For a double-crust pie, divide dough into 2 pieces, with one slightly larger, then form each into a ball and flatten each into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

5. 5

   Make lime curd: Whisk together eggs, sugar, and lime juice in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until combined. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in zest, then chill, covered, at least 1 hour.

6. 6

   Make pastry rounds: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Line 1 baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. 7

   Roll out dough into a 15-inch round (pastry will be thin) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out 18 rounds with cookie cutter and arrange 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheet. Prick each round several times with a fork, then cover rounds with another sheet of parchment and weight with second baking sheet.

8. 8

   Bake until rounds are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove top baking sheet and parchment and transfer rounds to racks to cool.

9. 9

   Sprinkle each round evenly with 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar and carefully caramelize with a blowtorch (sugar burns easily).

10. 10

    Make glazed fruit and assemble desserts: Boil confectioners sugar, water, and lime juice in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove from heat and add berries, gently tossing to coat. (There will be just enough to glaze berries; they will give off a small amount of juice as they cool.).

12. 12

    Cool berries 5 minutes.

13. 13

    Put 1 tablespoon of curd on each of 6 plates. Stack 3 rounds on each plate, layering rounds with some of curd and glazed berries, then drizzle plates with some syrup.

14. 14

    Cooks' notes:.

15. 15

    •Lime curd can be chilled up to 3 days ahead. •Pastry rounds can be baked and caramelized 1 day ahead, then cooled and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.