This French Orange Tart Recipe makes a deliciously fresh Winter dessert. It combines a Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée) and a simple Orange Cream Filling (Orange Crémeux). Perfect dessert for a dinner party or afternoon tea!
3Large Oranges - Juice and Zestor the equivalent of 300 ml - 1 1/4 cup of Juice
4Eggs
60gr (1/4 cup)Caster Sugaror fine white sugar
25gr (3 1/2 tbsp)Cornstarch
115gr (1/2 cup)Unsalted Buttersoft
1tspGelatine Powderoptional
Instructions
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Place the very soft Butter in the bowl of your mixer with the Powdered Sugar and mix together with the leaf/paddle attachment until smooth and creamy.
On low speed, stir in the Egg then the Almond Meal and Orange Zest (optional). Scrap the edges of the bowl with a spatula if needed.
Add the Plain Flour and Salt and mix it in on low speed until the dough comes together.
Bring the pastry together into a ball then thinly roll between two sheets of baking paper (1). Place over a flat tray and put in the fridge to rest for at least an hour.
Once the pastry has chilled, line your Pastry Ring or Tart Pan and dock the pastry (2). If baking straight away, place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes then bake for 25 to 30 minutes in an oven pre-heated on 160'C / 325'F. Otherwise, keep in the fridge until ready to bake (3).
Leave to cool down completely before adding the cream filling.
Orange Cream
Zest and Juice the Oranges. Set aside the Zest, and place the Juice in a Small Pot (4). Heat up the juice on the stove on low heat until it simmers.
While the juice is heating up, whisk together the Eggs, Sugar and Cornstarch in a separate heat-proof bowl until smooth.
Once the Juice starts to simmer, slowly pour it over the Eggs/Sugar/Cornstarch while whisking. Mix well until combined and smooth, then pour it all back into the Pot.
Place the pot back on the stove on low heat and keep whisking until the liquid starts to thicken (5). Remove from the stove and transfer into a clean Jug or bowl.
Optional: re-hydrate the gelatine powder with a little bit of cold water and whisk it into the cream until fully dissolved.
Leave the cream to cool down (6) then add the soft Butter and Orange Zest. Quickly mix it in with an immersion blender (or with a whisk) until fully combined (7).
Pour the Orange Cream over the fully baked Tart Crust and smooth it out with a small offset spatula if needed. Place in the fridge to set for at least 2 to 3 hours, or up to 24 hours before serving.
Optional: cut out small segments of fresh orange to garnish the tart before serving.
Notes
General Disclaimer: I highly recommend using the ingredient measurements in grams/ml for more accuracy and the best results.For more information, step by step photos, tips and tricks on the Sweet Pastry Shell, read my Sweet Shortcrust Pastry recipe.Yield: I used a 25 cm / 10 inch Tart Ring.Instruction Notes:
I rolled the pastry to be about 4mm / 0.15 inch.
To "dock" pastry means pricking it to avoid the formation of air bubbles. Simply use a fork and prick the whole bottom of the pastry, making sure the small holes go all the way through the pastry.
I kept my lined tart ring in the fridge overnight, then placed it in the freezer while my over was pre-heating the next morning. The pastry needs to be very cold to avoid moving or shrinking in the oven.
Pour through a thin mesh sieve to remove any pulp if preferred.
It could take a few minutes on low heat. Make sure the heat is not too high or it might cook the eggs and curd. To make sure the eggs are fully cooked, whisk until you get a boil.
Ideally, it should be around 40'C / 105'F before you add the Butter. If the cream is too warm, the butter will melt straight away and potentially split from the cream.
It will only need a few seconds with an immersion blender - make sure not to over-mix it or it will turn liquid again. You can use a whisk if you do not have an immersion blender, but will need to stir it well to create an emulsion.