Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, soft
- 1 1/3 cup Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
Lemon Lime Filling
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon gelatin powder
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, very soft
Italian Style Meringue
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. For crust, mix butter, and powdered sugar using a paddle attachment until well blended. Add eggs and mix until well combined. Add salt and vanilla.
- Add flour in one step and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Press dough evenly flat onto a sheet of plastic food film. Place dough in refrigerator or freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan with parchment paper (optional). If not using parchment, greasing pan is not required. Press slightly chilled dough evenly into pan including slightly up the sides. If dough gets too sticky to handle, place pan into freezer for a few minutes.
- Prick dough using a fork and place in oven. Bake for about 14 minutes or until golden brown. During first minutes of baking keep an eye on sides of pan as a part of sides may collapse. If so, remove pan from oven and press back. Dough will not be so hot that it cannot be touched. If a bubble forms during initial baking stage, prick dough again. Once baked, set aside.
- For filling, in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, bring lemon, juice, lime juice, water and first listed sugar to a boil.
- In a separate bowl whisk eggs until completely blended. Add second listed sugar and whisk rapidly and for at least 2 minutes until well combined.
- Pour 1/3 of boiling lemon lime syrup into egg mixture and whisk quickly. Pour tempered egg mixture back into lemon syrup and heat on high while whisking constantly. Continue to whisk constantly until mixture has the consistency of thick bubbling honey. Once mixture boils, foam around edges of pan will start to disappear. Mixture needs to be bubbling vigorously and foam needs to be gone before removing from heat. Set curd aside.
- Mix gelatin with cold water in a microwave-proof bowl. After 5 minutes place in microwave and heat in 5 second increments just until melted. Do not heat until hot.
- Add melted gelatin to curd. Butter cannot be added before curd drops below 120°F or it will not properly set. Add butter and stir until dissolved. If butter was too cold and refuses to dissolve, place mixture in 7 second increments in microwave oven. Ensure that curd barely increases in temperature. Stirring until butter dissolves is best tactic.
- Pour curd into pre-baked shell and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- For meringue, combine egg whites and sugar into a mixing bowl. Place over light simmering water and whisk constantly (to prevent creating an egg white omelet) until mixture reaches 145°F. Remove from heat and whisk until stiff peaks form and mixture has cooled to room temperature.
- Either spread meringue onto chilled curd or place in a piping bag fitted with pastry tube of choice and decorate surface.
- If desired, place sheet briefly under broiler to lightly brown meringue. Do not walk away from oven as browning will happen in a flash.
- Sprinkle with lemon and or lime zest if desired.