When I decided to make this tart, it was the end of blood orange season, and I was having difficulties finding them at the markets in my neighborhood. I finally found some at a Trader Joe’s in Queens, which is a nice distance from where I live. But after just one bite into this tart, I realized that it was all worth it. This tart was a blissful piece of deliciousness in my mouth.
Let’s get started!
Ingredients needed:
Filling:
3 egg yolks
14 oz condensed milk
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1 grated blood orange zest
Shortbread crust:
For an 8 inch tart pan:
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut small
2 tbsp of jam of choice
For the orange slices:
2 oranges
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water for the syrup
Start by preparing the orange slices that will be put on top of the tart. Make sure that the oranges are organic and wash them well. Slice 2 oranges thinly. And then blanch those slices.
To blanch the orange slices put them in a pot of simmering water, and let them in the water for 1-2 minutes, and take them out after that. Meanwhile, in a different pot, make a syrup; water and sugar mix together and brought to a boil. Add the orange slices to the boiling syrup.
Put the slices on a greased baking sheet, in a single layer. Don’t put them on top of each other or they might get stuck to each other. Let them cool down completely.
The second part is the crust. Mix the powdered sugar into the flour. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture and work the butter into the flour until it looks like wet sand. Work fast if you are doing it by hand, because the warmth of your hands will warm up the butter, and this should be avoided. Or you can do this part in a food processor; faster, easier and less headache.
Press the flour mixture into the tart pan. I am using a 9 inches removable bottom tart pan. You can use a cup to press the flour into the pan and make sure everything is compact. Put the tart shell in the freezer for 20 minutes. Be careful with the removable bottom pan. You don’t want to accidentally push up on it.
While the tart shell is in the freezer, start with the custard filling. Zest the orange. Before zest anything, always wash it thoroughly. And make sure it’s dry before starting to zest. And while grating the fruit, make sure you only get the outer part of the fruit, never the white layer underneath, because that is bitter.
Preheat the oven at 300 degrees F.
Cream the egg yolks by whisking vigorously until they become lighter in color. This can be done with an electrical mixer, but I chose to do it by hand. Then, whisk the condensed milk into the yolks. Add in the orange zest and whisk it in as well. Collect the juices from the oranges. Add the juice and a pinch of salt to the egg mixture and whisk them in.
Take the tart shell out of the fridge. Again, be careful not to push up on the removable bottom. Take 2 tablespoons of jam add 1 tablespoon of water to it and warm it up in the microwave. Brush the warm jam on the tart shell. I am using a blood orange jam. Pour the orange mixture into the tart shell and bake it right away.
I put the tart pan on a baking sheet for easy transfer, so I don’t have to hold on to the tart pan and accidentally push up on the removable bottom. Bake the tart in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes.
After baking I chose to decorate with some shaved chocolate. I grated half a block of dark chocolate and sprinkled it on the outside of the tart, while it’s still warm. You can choose to sprinkle the chocolate on the whole tart or also just choose to omit it all together. After that, arrange the candied orange slices on top of the tart whichever way you want to. Keep in mind that the orange slices are completely edible.
Enjoy!
Thank you for your time
