Bon Appetit Desserts (78 page)

Blood oranges are increasingly available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and farmers’ markets from December through June. If you can’t find blood oranges, navel oranges are fine substitutes.
10 to 12 servings

1½ cups sugar

⅓ cup fresh blood orange juice

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

6 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon finely grated blood orange peel

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 large egg yolk

8 blood oranges

Orange Caramel Sauce (see recipe)

ORANGE CURD
: Whisk sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, and orange peel in medium metal bowl to blend. Add butter; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until curd thickens and instant-read thermometer inserted into curd registers 175°F, about 12 minutes (do not boil). Remove bowl from over water. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd; chill overnight.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

CRUST
: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and egg yolk and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press crust onto bottom and up sides of pan. Fold dough overhang in and press onto pan, forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork; freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on rack. Spread curd evenly in cooled crust.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over medium bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release orange segments. Transfer segments to paper towels and pat dry. Arrange orange segments in concentric circles atop orange curd. Chill tart up to 1 hour.

Remove pan sides from tart. Cut tart into wedges. Drizzle lightly with Orange Caramel Sauce and serve.

Orange Caramel Sauce

This complex sauce has orange notes on deep caramel. When making the caramel, be sure to use a heavy-bottomed stainless steel or copper saucepan for even browning and good visibility. The sauce is equally delicious when made with navel oranges or Valencia oranges.
Makes about ⅔ cup

⅔ cup sugar

¼ cup water

½ cup fresh blood orange juice

½ teaspoon finely grated blood orange peel

Combine sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Carefully add orange juice and orange peel (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until smooth and any caramel bits dissolve. Cool completely.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Apricot Tart with Honey and Almonds

The apricot halves peeking out of the custard filling give this tart a whimsical polka-dot look. For a smooth custard, the cornstarch should be fully incorporated into the yolk and sugar mixture.
12 servings

⅔ cup whole milk

1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch Pastry Crust dough disk (see recipe)

½ cup slivered almonds

⅓ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1 teaspoon almond extract Pinch of salt

3 15.25-ounce cans unpeeled apricot halves in heavy syrup, well drained

3 tablespoons honey

Pour milk into small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in bowl to blend. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to pan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 2 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Transfer custard to bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of custard; cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Roll out pastry crust dough disk on floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer to 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press crust onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim dough overhang to ½-inch; fold in and press, forming double-thick sides. Freeze crust until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Finely grind almonds and powdered sugar in processor. Add cooled custard; blend using on/off turns. Blend in butter, then whole egg, almond extract, and salt. Pour into crust; smooth top. Arrange apricot halves, round side up, atop filling.

Bake tart until filling is set and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Drizzle honey over and return to oven for 3 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan. Remove pan sides from tart. Transfer to plate.

Pastry Crust (Pâte Sucrée)

This rich, sweet dough is great for tarts. It results in a crust that’s halfway between a traditional pie crust and a cookie.
Makes 1 dough disk (enough for one 11-inch tart crust)

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

⅓ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

3 large egg yolks, beaten to blend

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and orange peel in large bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; mix with fork until dough begins to clump together. Shape dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Strawberry and White Chocolate Mousse Tart

The pastry shell of this elegant dessert is “blind baked”—meaning it’s fully baked before being filled (in this case, with lush white chocolate mousse). Begin preparing the tart one day before you plan to serve it to allow the mousse to set.
8 servings

1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon (or more) ice water

6 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

1¼ cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites, room temperature

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

⅓ cup seedless strawberry jam

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise

CRUST
: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk and 1 tablespoon ice water in small bowl to blend. Add to processor and blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to ½ inch; fold in and press onto pan, forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze crust 30 minutes.