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.
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.
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.
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
Crust
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
Mousse
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.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust sides are light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake until crust is cooked through and golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Cool crust completely in pan on rack.
MOUSSE: Combine white chocolate and ¼ cup whipping cream in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool chocolate mixture until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.
Beat remaining 1 cup chilled whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar in medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in whipped cream. Transfer mixture to cooled crust; smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Combine jam and lemon juice in small saucepan; bring to simmer, stirring over medium heat until jam melts. Remove from heat. Arrange sliced strawberries in concentric circles atop tart. Brush berries with melted jam mixture. Chill tart up to 2 hours. Remove pan sides from tart. Transfer tart to platter.
This thin, cookie-like tart with a lattice crust is inspired by a feast-day dessert from the Mediterranean island of Malta. The recipe calls for cherry preserves and dried cherries in the filling, but apricot preserves and dried apricots would be great, too. 8 to 10 servings