Coconut Key Lime Tartlets

5/10/2023

A few weeks ago, I ran across an old picture of my brother and I circa 1975. I texted the picture to him with the caption "reenactment?" His nearly immediate response - "absolutely, let's make it happen."🤣

Just to be clear - I have no idea why we were dressed like this. Were we dressed up in costumes for Halloween?🤠 Why do I have a stocking on my arm? Am I holding Curious George? So many questions.🤪 I thought that what I was wearing in the picture was an apron but my mom informed me that it was a dress. 👗😳

I had never tried to reenact an old photo before and turns out - it's not easy. I had to pack toy guns in my checked bag on our flight to Ohio. (There was no ammunition.😅) My brother brought his hat, boots and vest in his luggage. My mom graciously allowed us to dig through her Christmas boxes to find a stocking - in April. And then there was the issue of my oh-so stylish outfit. Well, my mom came through again with an almost nearly perfect replicate of my green "dress" and red vest.

There's no question that it was a challenge to recreate our childhood photo but it was so much fun. I have no memory of the original picture being taken but I'm pretty sure that I'll never forget the day we took the second photo.📸

Recreating photos - not really my forte. Recreating recipes - my speciality. Taking old recipes and putting a new, modern spin on them - that's my jam. Key Lime Pie has been around since 1927.🥧 It's light, it's refreshing, it's the perfect combination of sweet and sour. There's nothing wrong with the original recipe but if you want to try a slightly different variation - you need to try Coconut Key Lime Tartlets.

Coconut Key Lime Tartlets
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
5 Tablespoons sugar
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup Key lime juice
3 large egg yolks
½ tsp. salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1⁄2 tsp. lime zest (from 2 limes)
¾ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
lime slices