Snowy White Chocolate and Blood Orange Tart

2.26.21

I didn’t expect the shift that’s taken hold on my baking habits. I never would’ve dreamed a global crisis could impact the recipes I construct. But here we are. Since inside social gatherings are currently deemed less than safe, seeing anyone in person is a no go for us these winter days. In the past few months, almost all my baking choices (in case you haven’t noticed) are easily frozen, smaller, or hold for a while. Cookies (stores for days) and breads (easily devoured or frozen) top the list. I realized when I made larger projects they ended up partially uneaten and wasted. This tart was no exception. I ate some, my friends in my building ate some…..and then we had several snow storms, so leaving the apartment to give more out was not an option. So almost half of this tart went to waste. And I hate that. I suppose I could knock on doors in my building but in COVID times in NYC, maybe not the most respectful choice? On a positive note, a number of my friends are beginning to qualify for the vaccine because of their jobs, which means in person gatherings are once again on the horizon. Cakes and pies and things like this white chocolate and blood orange tart will be made again and again because they’ll be eaten in full. All this is to explain why cakes and tarts and large pavlovas haven’t really sparkled on here since I came back to the blog last year. I have no way to get rid of all of it. And I love sweets, but even I can only eat so much tart before I just feel flat out ill.

I look forward to making this again, for a larger crowd, because as the kids say, it SLAPS. A blood orange curd with a subdued tartness, topped with a rich white chocolate (and super easy) mousse, all in a crisp spiced crust. The mousse looks like a snowy field after a lengthy blizzard, peaceful and smooth. I added a little gel food coloring to the curd because blood orange curd normally turns out looking like puke (because of the eggs added in). All those gorgeous colors are lost. If artificial coloring isn’t your thing, get it outta there. And let’s take a moment to appreciate baked orange slices! So easy and gorgeous and if you have leftovers, stick them in a cocktail!

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Blood Orange and White Chocolate Mousse Tart

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1-3 TBSP ice cold water

Baked Blood Orange Slices

• 1-2 blood oranges, very thinly sliced
• reserved sugar from crust

Blood Orange Curd

• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 TBSP blood orange zest
• 1/2 cup blood orange juice
• 6 TBSP unsalted butter, cubed
• Orange or burgundy gel food coloring, if desired*

White Chocolate Mousse

• 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
• 1 1/2 TBSP cold water
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 oz white chocolate

Instructions

• Roll out crust (recipe follows) on a lightly floured surface wider than a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom
• Transfer crust to tart pan, tucking crust into corners and pressing into sides, making sure crust is even all the way around
• Gently roll a rolling pin over tart pan to cut off excess dough. Either discard extra dough, or reroll and bake in smaller tart pans if desired
• Place tart pan on baking sheet and freeze for 30 min- 1 hour
• Meanwhile, make the curd
• In a heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar, zest, and juice
• Heat 2 inches of water over low-medium heat in a medium saucepan until simmering
• Place bowl over water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes
• If using, add in gel food coloring as the curd is beginning to thicken
• Once thickened, it should be closer to a pudding consistency, press through a mesh sieve into medium bowl, whisk in butter a few cubes at a time, allowing to fully combine before adding more, continue until all butter is incorporated, set aside to cool
• Preheat oven to 375º
• Remove crust from freezer, prick with fork, line the crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans all the way to the top of the rim, bake for 20 minutes
• Once par baked, remove foil and weights, fill with blood orange curd, spread evenly, bake in oven for another 12 minutes
• Once baked, the curd should be set but there should be a slight wobble to the center, check on it at 10 minutes to make sure it doesn’t over bake
• Allow to cool completely before adding white chocolate mousse
• Chill the bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer for at least 30 min before whipping cream
• In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and allow to dissolve, about 5 minutes
• In a food processor, pulse white chocolate until finely chopped
• In a large bowl, create an ice bath and set aside
• Remove 2/3 cup of heavy cream and transfer to a small saucepan
• In the chilled stand mixer bowl, whip the remaining heavy cream on low speed until soft peaks form, increase speed to medium until whipped cream reaches firm peaks, a scoopable consistency, chill until ready to use
• Heat the heavy cream in the small saucepan over low heat and allow to come to a boil
• Add in dissolved gelatin and stir until completely melted into heavy cream
• With the food processor on low speed, slowly pour in heated heavy cream, allowing to combine with chocolate until a smooth pourable mixture comes together
• Pour this mixture into a medium bowl and immediately place into ice bath, stir occasionally with rubber spatula until it’s cooled enough that it creates ribbons on the surface when dropped from the spatula, about 3-5 minutes
• Fold in whipped cream in two additions, making sure combined before adding second half
• Pour mousse into chilled tart shell with curd bottom layer, fill shell to fully cover curd layer and smooth the top, chill over night
• When ready to enjoy, decorate with baked blood orange slices (recipe follows) and fresh blood orange slices if desired

Crust

• Mix together the sugar, ground ginger and cinnamon, remove 1/4 cup to use in crust, set the remaining aside
• In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar mixture, and salt
• Add in half cubed, cold butter and pulse until butter is coarse crumbs throughout and then repeat with second half
• Add in yolk and allow to combine on low speed
• Stream in cold water 1 TBSP at a time until dough begins to come together. The water needed can vary on the temperature of the kitchen and the weather. Make sure to give the dough a few seconds to incorporate water before adding more, you don’t want it to be too wet
• Once dough begins to come together, dump out on a light floured surface and pat together into a disc
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight in fridge

Baked Blood Orange Slices

• Preheat oven to 200º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place blood oranges slices on the lined baking sheet
• Use the remaining sugar mixture from crust and sprinkle over slices
• Bake for 2 1/2 hours
• Keep in an airtight container until ready to use

PS.

*Gel food coloring isn’t necessary for the curd, but I tend to find blood oranges lend to a pretty bleh color of curd because of the egss added in, despite how tasty it is. The coloring is purely for aesthetic purposes.
-This can be made over two days to make the assemble time shorter. Make the curd the night before, along with the crust. Once curd is cooled slightly, press plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming and chill overnight until ready to use.
-Make sure to fill your crust all the way to the top with your pie weights! This is a huge reason why crusts shrink!