Dessert

No-bake lime-coconut custards with coconut crumble

Name: No-bake lime-coconut custards with coconut crumble recipe
Prep time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 (13.5 oz / 400ml) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (not light coconut milk); 875.00 ml heavy cream (29.6 oz / 840g), chilled, divided; 125.00 ml plus 2 tablespoons light agave syrup (6.9 oz / 195g); Several pinches of kosher salt; 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from about 2 limes; 125.00 ml fresh lime juice (4 oz / 113g), from about 5 limes; 142g crackers; 62.50 ml dried unsweetened shredded coconut (0.8 oz / 23g); 82.50 ml virgin coconut oil (2.6 oz / 75g), melted and cooled; 1 lime, for serving

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by Claire Saffitz

Dec 16, 2022

"These no-bake custards taste like a tropical Key lime pie and have an ultra delicate set, courtesy of an ingenious technique borrowed from the old-timey English dessert known as posset. Citrus juice is added to a reduced sweetened cream mixture, and the acid in the citrus curdles the proteins in the cream, causing it to set. But because the fat in the cream blocks the formation of curds, the texture stays smooth and luxurious instead of lumpy. Here I use coconut milk in addition to cream and lime juice as the acid, then I top the custard with a crunchy coconut-graham crumble and softly whipped cream. Technically they’re not custards because they contain no eggs, but the texture is so smooth and silky that the name fits." Images and text from What’s for Dessert by Claire Saffitz, photography by Jenny Huang. Murdoch Books RRP $55.00.

1 (13.5 oz / 400ml) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (not light coconut milk)
3 1/2 cups heavy cream (29.6 oz / 840g), chilled, divided
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light agave syrup (6.9 oz / 195g)
Several pinches of kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from about 2 limes
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (4 oz / 113g), from about 5 limes
5 ounces (142g) graham crackers (about 9 sheets)
1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut (0.8 oz / 23g)
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil (2.6 oz / 75g), melted and cooled
1 lime, for serving

Method

1.

In a large saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, 2 cups (16 oz / 480g) of the cream, 1/2 cup (5.5 oz / 156g) of the agave, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook the coconut milk mixture, whisking occasionally, until it’s thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 15 to 20 minutes (carefully pour the hot mixture into a heatproof liquid measuring cup to check the volume and return it to the saucepan and continue to reduce if it’s not there yet). Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2.

Add the lime zest and lime juice to the saucepan and use a handheld blender to blend the hot mixture directly in the saucepan on high speed until it’s completely smooth - this will bring it back together if it separated during cooking and reduce the size of the fat particles in the coconut milk, making for a smoother set. (Alternatively, pour the mixture into a standard blender and blend on high.) Pour the mixture into eight serving glasses, dividing evenly. Cover the glasses and refrigerate the custards until they’re set, at least 6 hours.
3.

Place the graham crackers in a medium bowl, breaking them up with your fingers into smaller pieces. Use the bottom of a sturdy glass to crush the pieces until you have mostly fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Add the shredded coconut and a generous pinch of salt and toss to combine. Drizzle the coconut oil and remaining 2 tablespoons agave over the mixture and stir with a fork to thoroughly combine. Switch to your hands and rub the mixture between your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until the crumble is cold, at least 30 minutes.
4.

In a large bowl, with a whisk or hand mixer, whip the remaining 1 1/2 cups (12.7 oz / 360g) cream on low speed to start and gradually increase the speed to medium-high as it thickens, until you have a softly whipped cream that forms droopy peaks.
5.

Just before serving, remove the chilled custards from the refrigerator and uncover. Divide the crumble evenly among the glasses, then do the same with the whipped cream. Use a rasp-style grater to shave the zest of the whole lime over each glass and serve immediately.

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Recipe Notes

You will need a blender (handheld or standard) and 8 serving glasses.

Potential Pitfall: Keep an eye on the coconut milk mixture, as it will boil over quickly and make a mess. Once it boils, take a minute to regulate the heat and find the level where the mixture is simmering vigorously but not boiling. If it does start to boil over, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and blow on the surface to make it subside.

Optional Upgrade: The chilled crumble has a soft crunch and pleasant chew from the coconut, but for a toastier flavor and more crunch, you can bake it. Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the chilled crumble on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake, stirring halfway through, until the crumble is toasty-smelling and deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the pan, then store in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble the custards.

Can I...

Make them ahead? Yes. The custards (without the crumble and cream), covered and refrigerated, will keep for up to 4 days. Store the crumble in an airtight container (refrigerated if unbaked and at room temperature if baked) for up to 4 days.

Halve the recipe? Yes. Halve all the ingredient quantities, except for the 1/3 cup coconut oil, which doesn’t divide easily. Instead, use 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coconut oil for the crumble. Follow the recipe as written, reducing the cream and coconut milk mixture to 1 1/2 cups in a small saucepan and dividing the custard, crumble, and whipped cream among four serving glasses.

Make it gluten-free? Yes. Use a brand of gluten-free graham-style crackers for the crumble.