Orange & Chocolate Tarts

 

2.20.18

The time is now to grab up all the citrus while it’s still in season.  I’ve been very vocal about my love for orange and chocolate together. So I’m happy to share this recipe, which has been hanging out in my notebook for a little while.  I’ve been conductor of the unemployment train since I got back from tour in December, and while I thought once the new year hit I’d be chomping at the bit to bake everyday because I could, the opposite happened.  Motivating myself to bake new things has been hard to do, and I’m not sure why.  I’ve done a little here and there for myself or friends, but creating my normal baking goals list has proven difficult right now.  When you have all day at your disposal, it’s easy to think you’ll get EVERYTHING done; like I’ll audition AND bake AND brush up on my Spanish AND practice ukulele everyday AND go to the gym. But truthfully, I’ve only consistently done about 15% of that. I’m hoping that my feelings will get a little more of a push soon, but for now, posts are just going to be a little infrequent.

I’m excited about this one though.  These orange and chocolate tarts are refreshing, and mini-sized and gave me the chance to start learning how to work with the light Phil got me for Christmas.  So if these pictures looks a little different or harsh, know that I am slowly figuring it out.

 

Orange & Chocolate Tarts

Ingredients

For the Curd

• 5 egg yolks (save 3 of the whites)
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp orange zest (about 2 medium oranges)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, sliced

For the Crusts

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, sliced
• 5-6 Tbsp ice cold water

For the Ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chocolate, roughly chopped

For the Meringue Kisses

• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• splash of vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Meringue Kisses

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 215 degrees
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tarter on medium speed until it begins to froth
• Slowly add in sugar, a little at a time as soft peaks form
• Once firm peaks begin to form add in vanilla, continue to beat until glossy and stiff peaks are reached
• Spoon meringue into piping bag and pipe small dollops onto parchment paper
• Bake for 70-80 minutes, meringue should easily peel off paper when done
• Once baked, keep sheets in oven, crack oven and allow to fully dry out, about 45 minutes to an hour
• Set aside in airtight container until ready to use

For the Crusts**

• Pulse together the flour and salt to fully mix
• Add in butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form
• Slowly add in water until dough begins to come together
• Dump out onto plastic wrap and knead together, pat into (two) discs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, allow to chill at least 1 hour
• When ready to make tarts, roll out crust, one at a time, and using a 3-4″ round cookie cutter, cut out circles and firmly press into mini tart pans, pressing gently and trimming the tops so they don’t hang over, prick dough with forks all over
• Refrigerate all tart pans for 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 425, place foil and pie weights* inside each crust and bake for about 15 minutes, then remove foil and weights and bake an additional 8-10 minutes, the crust should be lightly browned
• Allow to cool before filling

For the Ganache

• Place chopped chocolate into bowl
• Heat up heavy cream until it just begins to bubble on the sides
• Pour over chocolate and allow to stand 1 minute, then stir gently until ganache comes together into a smooth, dark consistency
• Pour a thin layer into the bottom of each tart, then chill for 30 minutes

For the Orange Curd

• Bring 2 inches of water in a medium saucepan to a simmer over medium heat
• Whisk together all ingredients except butter in a heat proof bowl
• Place bowl over water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl
• Whisk constantly, allowing curd to thicken, about 7-10 minutes, turn heat up a little toward the end if thickening is taking too long
• Add in butter one slice at a time and whisk in until fully melted
• Once all butter is added, allow to cool before pouring into chilled tart shell on top of chocolate
• Chill tarts until ready to enjoy, then add meringue kisses on top, as well as chocolate shavings if desired
• DO NOT place tarts in fridge with meringue on top

P.S.

*Or dried beans
**It’s best to make the crust in two batches unless you have a large food processor