Desayuno

In my lazy but obstinate pursuit of glamour, I am always happy to run into things that both look fancy and are easy to make. This creamy orange tart doesn’t need luxury ingredients or excessive preparation, but the result is smooth and delicate. It is even a little small, like really expensive bottles of perfume. The recipe was adapted from Billy Grant’s Very Lemon Tart on a day when we had no lemons, but a big net of Valencia oranges.  

Ingredients

• For the filling

3/4 cup  sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
Zest of 2 oranges
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

• For the tart shell

1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, soft
1 egg, lightly beaten

 Assembly

Start with the filling: combine all the ingredients and leave in the refrigerator while you make the tart shell.

For the tart shell, you can go with your favourite pie shell recipe; I use this one from the Joy of Baking. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, ant then the flour, sugar and salt.  Mix until it forms a ball; wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C)

When the dough is chilled, roll it onto a tart pan. Use one with a removable bottom, if you have it –otherwise, make sure that you grease it well to prevent the tart from sticking. Prick  the bottom of the dough with a fork, so that it won’t puff up as it bakes. Line the unbaked shell with aluminum foil and weigh it down with beans or rice. Bake the crust for about 25 minutes, until it’s cooked through and golden.

Take the tart shell out of the oven and lower the temperature to 350°F (180°C). Take the filling out of the fridge and stir it well, pour into the baked shell, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for about 20 minutes. I usually keep it in the fridge and take it out about ten minutes before serving. Don’t worry if it all looks a little small –al pot petit hi ha la bona confitura (Catalan proverb: the good jam is in the small jar!)