I love making desserts, and really do
enjoy working with chocolate, even though I do not often eat
desserts, or chocolate, for that matter. However, I am asked more
often for chocolate dessert ideas than for any other recipes (seafood
recipes are the second most requested, by the way). My last recipe
post here was the first of three chocolate ideas I'll be sharing with
you, and it matched chocolate with lemons. This week, I've matched
it with oranges, and the result is something a little different once
again. It's a tart, and for those who are truly ambitious, I've
provided a sweet pastry dough that is perfect for this recipe.
For the not so ambitious, a commercial pie crust recipe will work, too,
just not as well.
Sweet Pastry Dough
2 cups of unbleached flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter, soft
3 tb vegetable shortening
3 egg yolks
1 whole large egg
1 tb freshly grated orange rind
1 round tart pan with removable bottom,
8"
Place the flour, sugar, butter (cut
into pieces) and shortening (in dabs) in the mixing bowl of your
Kitchenaid (an indispensable appliance for any serious pastry cook).
Using your dough hook attachment, gently blend these items together
on slow. As you are doing so, beat the egg yolks with the whole egg,
and gradually add them to the mixing bowl, along with the grated
orange rind.
When a soft ball has formed, stop the
machine and remove the dough from the bowl. Shape into a round, wrap
it in plastic film, and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.
Sprinkle your counter with flour and roll out the chilled dough at
least an inch wider than the tart pan you'll be using the make this
dessert, and to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Line the tart pan,
bottom and all the way up the sides, with the dough.
Line the dough with aluminum foil,
lightly pressed to make contact all around. Fill the foil with beans
(a bag of white or navy beans should be sufficient) and bake in a 375
degree oven for 5 minutes; remove the beans and foil, and bake for
another 5 minutes. Remove and leave on the stove top.
Filling
2 whole large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp orange extract
grated rind from 1 orange
1 cup of heavy cream
5 ounces of shaved bittersweet
chocolate
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, orange
extract, heavy cream and orange rind until well blended. Sprinkle
the chocolate over the bottom of the tart shell, and then sprinkle
the sliced almonds over the chocolate. Finally, fill the tart with
the egg/cream mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 375 degree oven,
or until the custard sets. Remove and allow to cool before removing
from the pan.
Glaze
1 orange
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
Juice the orange and add it to the
water and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and let it reduce
for a few minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room
temperature. When the tart has cooled to room temperature, apply
this glaze with a pastry brush to the top of the custard.
This tart doesn't need a sauce,
although a crème anglaise, perhaps an orange flavored one,
would be quite nice. Freshly whipped crème chantilly (heavy
cream, confectioner's sugar and a drop of vanilla extract) and some
candied orange peel make a lovely presentation, and finish off this
dessert with some elegance.
Copyright © 2005
MLM
Celtic Enterprises
www.mlmcelt.com
No portion of this article may be reprinted or republished without the express written permission of the copyright holder.