Avocado Lime Tart

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! The Husband and I spent Easter with my family, which was wonderful since all of us had not been together since Christmas. Like most holiday meals, my Mama and I put our heads together to come up with a great menu. This Easter, with me being pregnant, she did most of the heavy lifting - leaving me to only do one dessert and dressing (recipe to come later this week!) to go with Cornish Hens she was doing. She was making an Almond Joy Cheesecake, so I went in search of something non-chocolate and light to balance out the heaviness of a cheesecake.

The Husband actually found this recipe for me on a blog called The City Sisters.  He got excited - it reminding him of the Avocado Tart at Pescados China Street that we love so much. For me, it fit the criteria of what I was looking for and was also gluten free - perfect for my Dad, who is gluten-intolerant.

This tart was easy to make and was absolutely delicious. It was sweet, without being too sweet and creamy without being heavy. And with the high 80 degree temperatures, it being semi-frozen was a welcome treat.

I originally was a little concerned about the crust. It's not your typical graham cracker, butter and sugar crust - this one relies on dates, pecans and just two tablespoons of butter! But it actually was delicious and perfect for the avocado lime filling.

The only change I made to this recipe was using reduced fat cream cheese in place of the full fat kind.

Avocado Lime Tart

3/4 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tart crust (recipe below)

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat, add sugar, and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour the liquid in a bowl and allow to cool.

In a food processor, blend the avocado and cream cheese until smooth. Add lime juice and process again until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and whip in cooled cream.

Pour into tart crust and place in freezer for at least two hours. Allow to soften on kitchen counter about 15 minutes before serving.

Sugar Free Tart Crust
Recipe from Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

2 cups pecans
3 large medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8-inch tart pan with cooking spray.

In a food processor, blend the pecans and dates until well chopped. Add the butter and process until dough forms. Press mixture into the tart pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. The crust will be light brown and slightly puffed. Allow to cool completely before adding filling.