Lunch: Coconut-Lime Napoleons

Sweet lime filling nestled between layers of phyllo and coconut. You can make the lime curd and pastry layers a day ahead and assemble them just before serving.

Ingredients

4 large limes
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 large egg yolks
10 tbsp. margarine or butter
1/2 c. flaked coconut
8 sheets fresh or frozen (thawed) phyllo
1 c. heavy or whipping cream

Instructions

Prepare lime curd: Grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 1/2 cup juice from limes. In 2-quart saucepan, stir cornstarch and 1 cup sugar until mixed. Stir in lime peel and juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
In small bowl, with wire whisk, beat egg yolks slightly. Into yolks, beat small amount of hot lime mixture; pour yolk mixture back into lime mixture in saucepan, stirring rapidly to prevent lumping. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes.
Strain lime mixture through sieve into clean bowl. Cut up 6 tablespoons margarine or butter and stir into lime mixture, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated. Cover surface of lime curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or until cold.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In food processor with knife blade attached, process coconut with remaining 1/2 cup sugar until finely chopped. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons margarine or butter.
On work surface, place 1 sheet phyllo (keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap while you work to keep it from drying out). Brush phyllo lightly with some melted margarine or butter; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coconut mixture. Top with 3 more sheets phyllo, brushing each sheet with margarine or butter and sprinkling each with 2 tablespoons coconut mixture.
Cut layered phyllo lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces to make 16 rectangles. Place phyllo rectangles on large ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 8 minutes, until golden. With pancake turner, transfer to wire racks to cool. If not using baked phyllo right away, store in tightly covered container.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 with remaining phyllo, margarine or butter, and coconut mixture.
To serve, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of whipped cream into lime curd; fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon a rounded tablespoon lime filling onto 24 phyllo rectangles; spread filling over rectangles, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. On each of 8 lime-topped rectangles, stack two more lime-topped rectangles, then top each with a plain rectangle. If not serving right away, refrigerate up to 1 hour (phyllo will become soggy if refrigerated too long).

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