Orange Almond Tart

Dear Zahraa,

Before I had you, I always dreamt of the day I would become friends with my own daughter, sharing my thoughts and ideas with and endeavoring together on joyful activities. When you had finally turned two years old, I recall thinking that this was the age I had looked forward to all my life as you had started conversating well in advance of this too. You had reached the age where our relationship would transcend from simply a nurturing relationship to a friendship and companionship.

It was the day after your second birthday in which I made you an orange flavored cake. I used the zest of nearly ten oranges, which left us with oranges to snack on and much more. As I tended to do, I had asked you about what we should bake and had you pick out a book to look through in hopes of finding a recipe that necessitates oranges. You then looked through shelves and shuffles of books until you said to my surprise: “Let’s look at Dorie’s book, she’s your favorite!”.

I was a bit shocked that you had noticed my fondness of Dorie Greenspan’s work. I remember drawing tears and thinking how astounding it was that you were able to identify my favorites, especially since it was your first time expressing to me this fun fact about your mama. What was even more astounding was your ability to identify a book among about two hundred books, stored between shelves and stacks beside the bookshelf. You were able to recognize Dorie’s books by the miniature picture on the spine of the book; Dorie Greenspan featuring her signature look, a Parisian haircut and small round frames. I carefully took out two of her books to search in: “Baking Chez Moi” and “Around my French Table”.

Thereafter, we made way to the coffee table as we immersed ourselves in the books. You started to ask me about Dorie and whether she had any children of her own. I mentioned that she has a son, and you wondered if he spends his time baking with his mother. “They had a cookie shop they established together called “Beurre & Sel”, I explained. As you reacted to my explanation with a confused expression, I later adjusted my answer with a simple “Yes mama, they do bake together!”. I would sometimes forget that you may be too young to understand what I say as I would speak to you as my friend and you would gaze at me with what seemed to be your full attention.

As we voyaged through the pages, we finally came across a recipe that would actually require fresh oranges: an orange almond tart! I then read the recipe several times and began immediately preparing this pastry.

Sincerely,

Mama

Orange Almond Tart
Recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan

For Oranges

4 Navel Oranges

Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange to allow the oranges to stand upright. Using a downward stroke, slice away from the flesh of the orange and discard. Check for any pith and remove (these are white tissues that are between the peel of and orange and the fruit, you need to remove all the pith to be able to get the segment of the orange properly). Cut between the membranes to segment the orange, you want to carefully do this by holding the orange in your hand and using a sharp pairing knife. Place the segments between triple layers of paper towels and let them dry for at least 1 hour, or overnight (I find that overnight is best since it will guarantee that the access juices have been absorbed by the towels. This ensures that the orange segments don’t separate from the almond cream and sink during the baking process).

Almond Cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
¾ cup almond flour
2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the butter and sugar in a food processor and process until blended. Add the flour and cornstarch, and process, then add the egg. Process until blended, about 15 seconds. Add the zest, almond extract and vanilla extract and process until combined. Place in the refrigerator until needed. (almond cream can keep in the refrigerator for 3 days).

Pâte Sucrée
Recipe courtesy of Jonny Iuzzini

168 g cold unsalted butter, diced
64 g sugar
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
250 g all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 g sea salt
15 g cold water

Place the cold butter and the sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until a paste forms with no visible lumps of butter. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour and sprinkle the salt over the top. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the water and mix briefly until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead several times until smooth. Pat the dough into a round disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight (the dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month).

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough about ¼ inch thick (if the dough breaks up while trying to roll, simply let it rest on the counter for about 5 minutes at room temperature. I sometimes break it apart by hand just to get it warm enough to make it pliable. It is very important the dough remains cool. This tip is just to make it easier to work with the dough) Placing a 4-inch tart pan on the rolled-out dough, cut a circle around the pan using a paring knife. (you want the cut-out dough to be about an inch larger than the pan size). Place the cut-out dough into the pan and gently press into the bottom of the pan and along the edges. There should be an extension of the dough coming up from along the edges of the tart pan, simply roll the pin over the top of the pan to get an even smooth top or trim the edges with a sharp knife. Set aside and repeat until you have a total of six 4-inch tart pans filled with dough( you may be left with dough, store for later use). Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and carefully place in the freezer to chill (alternatively, you can use a 9-inch tart shell pan).

To partially bake the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the tart dough with a piece of parchment larger than the pan. Trim the paper to just fit within the shell, then spray the dough with a very thin layer of cooking spray before lining the dough with paper. Don’t use aluminum foil, this will deflect heat away from the crust, and the bottom of the tart will not bake at the same rate as the sides. Then sprinkle an even, thin layer of rice or dried beans over the surface of the paper. Set the lined tart pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the tart shell until the edges are just turning a very light golden color and the bottom of the tart is dry when you carefully lift the parchment to check it, about 10 to 12 minutes ( about 15 minutes if baking 9-inch crust). Remove the parchment and rice and return the tart shells to the oven. Bake until it is evenly golden brown on all sides and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes more ( 15 to 20 minutes if baking 9-inch crust). Remove the tart shells from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

To fill and bake the tarts, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart shells on it.

Stir the almond cream, then turn it into the crusts, smoothing the top (fill about ¾ of the way on each tart). Arrange the orange slices in a decorative pattern over the top. Do not cover every bit of the cream, it will bubble and rise as it bakes, and it’s nice to leave space for it to come up around the fruit.

Bake the tarts for about 25 to 30 minutes (50 to 60 minutes if using a 9-inch crust), or until the cream has risen and turned golden brown. If you slip a knife into the cream, it should come out clean. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.

Carefully remove the tarts from the pan, and to serve, dust the tarts with confectioners’ sugar.