French Orange Tart Recipes

CLASSIC FRENCH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.
• Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs," especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).
• Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
• Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.
• Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE ORANGE TRUFFLE TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
• Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture and mix gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.
• Separate the dough into 2 balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for a few hours before working with it.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Roll and trim the dough to make a circle large enough to fit a 10-inch fluted tart pan.
• Fit the circle into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Line the dough with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pie weights and bake the shell for an additional 5 minutes.
• Set aside the pastry shell, still in the tart pan, to cool.
• In a small saucepan set over low-medium heat, bring the cream and orange zest to just simmering.
• Remove it from the heat and stir in the chocolate, Grand Marnier, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely incorporated.
• Whisk a small amount of the hot chocolate cream into the beaten eggs.
• Transfer the tempered egg mixture back into the hot chocolate cream and whisk the mixture until it is smooth.
• Pour the orange chocolate filling into the prepared pastry and bake at 375 F for 18 to 25 minutes, until most of the filling is set and only the center jiggles slightly when the tart is moved.
• Allow the tart to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the tart ring and chill the tart in the refrigerator before serving.
• Slice and enjoy.

FRENCH ORANGE TART

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Using a pastry cutter , large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
• Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture and toss a few times gently, just until it forms a ball that holds together.
• Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.
• Preheat an oven to 375 F. Roll and trim the dough to make a circle large enough to fit a 10-inch fluted tart pan. Fit the circle into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Line the dough with pie weights or dried beans and bake it for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pie weights and bake the shell for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside the pastry shell, still in the tart pan, to cool.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a double boiler or a medium-size saucepan set a large pan of simmering water, stir together 8 tablespoons butter and the crème fraiche. Once this mixture is thoroughly combined, set it aside.
• In a separate pan set over the double boiler, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks , and sugar.
• Stir the orange juice into the mixture and cook, constantly stirring for 3 minutes.
• Add the orange zest and butter-crème fraiche mixture to the eggs and cook, constantly stirring for 3 minutes.
• Pour the orange filling into the prepared pastry and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes until it turns golden brown and the filling is set.
• Allow the tart to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator before serving.

ORANGE TART

Steps:

• Place the flour, confectioners' sugar, almond flour, salt, orange zest and the cold butter into a food processor. Pulse the ingredients until a fine breadcrumb consistency has been formed.
• Add the egg yolk and cold water, pulse again until the mixture sticks together in clumps.
• Tip the contents of the food processor onto your work surface and bring together into a ball with your hands. Knead the pastry a few times until nice and smooth. (If your butter wasn't cold and was a bit too soft your pastry might be too. If so, wrap it in parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.) Set aside.
• Grease a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed tart tin.
• Lay a piece of parchment paper on the work surface. Remove the base of the tart tin and lay it on the paper. Using a pencil, draw a circle onto the paper 4cm/1½ins bigger than the base of the tin.
• Dust the base of the tin with flour. Place the pastry ball in the centre of the tin base and flatten out slightly. Roll out the pastry, still on the tin base, until it meets the circle marks. As you are rolling the pastry, turn the pastry by turning the paper.
• Gently fold the pastry into the centre of the tin base. Carefully lift the tin base off the work surface, drop it into the tin, ease the pastry into the corners and up the sides of the tin, pressing the overhang lightly over the rim. If the pastry has cracked at all, simply press it together to seal.
• Press the pastry into the curves of the tin then lightly prick the base with a fork, but not all the way through. Place the pastry-lined tin onto a baking tray, cover loosely with cling film or tea towel and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/390°F/gas mark 6.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and uncover.
• Line the inside of the pastry with foil so it supports the sides, then fill with baking beans.
• Bake blind for 12-15 minutes, until the pastry is set, then lift out the foil and beans.
• Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a potato peeler, lightly run the peeler over the top of the excess pastry until it falls away, leaving you a smooth top to your edges. Remove the trimmings from the sheet.
• Return the empty pastry case to the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until it is pale golden and completely dry.
• Set aside and allow to cool while you make your orange filling.
• [Optional] If you are using fresh oranges, zest the oranges and set aside the zest for later. Now juice the oranges and place the juice into a small pot.
• Heat the orange juice on the stove over low heat until it simmers.
• While the juice is heating up, whisk together the eggs, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth.
• Once the juice starts to simmer, slowly pour it over the egg mixture while whisking. Mix well until combined and smooth, then pour it back into the pot.
• Place the pot back over a low heat and keep mixing until the liquid starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and transfer into a mixing bowl. Add the gelatine powder and whisk until fully incorporated.
• Leave the filling to cool down slightly then add the soft butter, orange zest and Angostura orange bitters. Quickly mix it in with a whisk until fully combined.
• Pour the orange filling into the pastry case and lightly drop the case onto your counter, from about 2.5cm (1 inch) off of the counter, a few times until all bubbles have been released from the filling. Place in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours or, for best results, overnight.
• Remove the tart from the tin.
• Place the cream, confectioners' sugar and the Angostura orange bitters into a bowl and whisk together until firm.
• Now decorate as you see fit. Feel free to take inspiration from the photos or just go with your own ideas. Enjoy!

FRENCH ORANGE TART

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

ORANGE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in bottom third of oven. Preferably using an electric knife, cut the oranges crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, discarding any seeds. In a medium saucepan, combine orange slices, water, and sugar over medium heat. Cook until orange slices are tender and translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
• Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Remove the orange slices from the cooking liquid and place on rack to drain. Return the reserved cooking liquid to the stove and cook over medium-high heat until reduced and slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll out puff pastry to form an 11-by-14-inch rectangle. Lightly sprinkle a baking sheet with water. Transfer pastry to baking sheet. Trim edges to form a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score the pastry one-inch from the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Spread frangipane evenly over pastry, within the border.
• Top frangipane evenly with drained orange slices. Transfer tart to oven and bake for 45 minutes, rotating baking sheet every 15 minutes for even cooking.
• Immediately slide the tart off the baking sheet onto a cooling rack. Lightly brush orange slices with a little of the reduced cooking liquid; discard remaining liquid. Cool tart to room temperature before serving. Serve with creme fraiche, if desired.

ORANGE TART WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Pour in orange extract; mix thoroughly to combine, about 1 minute. Mix in sifted flour a little at a time until thoroughly combined. Cover crust mixture with plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll with a lightly floured rolling pin to 1/3-inch thickness.
• Line a 10-inch (1-inch high) tart pan with the dough; prick with a fork.
• Mix cream cheese, sifted confectioners' sugar, ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, and flour in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add eggs, egg yolks, and heavy cream at the same time and mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour filling mixture into prepared crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
• While the tart is baking, combine mandarin oranges, navel orange, blood orange, and sugar in a bowl.
• Remove tart from oven. Fan orange segments in a pattern of three in a circle around the tart, working your way to the middle. Return tart to oven.
• Bake until fully set and oranges become golden, but do not burn, about 30 minutes more. Let cool completely.
• While tart cools, melt dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Stir in butter until melted; remove from heat. Drizzle chocolate sauce over each tart slice before serving.

FRENCH-STYLE ORANGE CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Make the pastry: whisk together the flour and salt in a big bowl; with a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles small crumbs.
• Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition, until the dough just comes together if a small bit is pressed between your fingers; do not overmix.
• Shape the dough into a disk; wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days (if it has been chilled overnight or longer, let the dough stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling it out).
• On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 14-inch round.
• Fold the pastry in half and transfer it to an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Unfold the pastry and gently press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan with your fingertips.
• Trim the overhanging pastry to 1 inch.
• Fold the overhang in and then press the dough against the sides of the pan so it extends about 1/4 inch above the rim; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Press a piece of heavy-duty foil snugly into the bottom and up the sides of the pastry shell and fill with uncooked rice or dried beans; bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil and rice, and bake for 8-10 minutes longer, until golden (if the shell puffs up during baking, gently press it down with the back of a spoon); let cool on a wire rack; decrease oven temperature to 350°.
• Make the filling: whisk together the eggs, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined; whisk in the creme fraiche.
• Carefully pour the filing into the cooled tart shell; place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center is still slightly jiggly; cool completely on a wire rack.
• To serve, remove the side of the pan and cut into wedges; you may dust the tart with powdered sugar and serve with fragrant ripe strawberries.