Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Recipe : Marmalade Tart {Big Sur Bakery Cookbook}

When life gives you oranges, make marmelade tart © dinners with friends
Orange Citrus Marmalade Tart
When life gives you oranges ... make marmalade tart!


If it weren't for the chilly temperatures and short days, winter would be my favorite time of year.
I just love the amazing colors and flavors of the various citrus fruit of winter. And even after living on the West Coast for over twelve years, passing the occasional lemon or orange tree in the neighborhood still puts a big smile on my face.
The citrus season is already starting to wind down, so stock up on cara-caras, pomelos, blood oranges, tangelos, ruby reds, naval oranges - and make a bright & sunny citrus tart ...

... for the dough.
1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into small cubes
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2  tablespoons orange juice

... for the almond cream.
3/4 cup unblanched almonds {toasted until brown, then finely chopped}
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
grated zest of 1 small orange
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

... for assembling the tart.
1 cup high-quality citrus marmalade {orange, lemon … or blood orange}
2-3 medium-sized citrus fruits {I used naval orange, cara-cara & blood orange}
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F {180°C}.

Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them until golden through the center {about 8-10 minutes}. Remove the almonds from oven and let cool completely {leaving the oven on}. Once cooled, chop the almonds and set them aside.

To make tart dough, combine the butter cubes with flour, sugar, orange zest and salt in the bowl, and chill in freezer for 30 minutes.

Orange Marmalade Tart

Using an electric mixer {ideally fitted with a paddle attachment}, work the chilled mixture until very
crumbly. Then add the orange juice and continue to mix until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes {or as long as a week}.

While dough is chilling, make the almond cream:
put the butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, orange zest and salt into a bowl and cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add beaten egg a little at  a time, mixing until incorporated. Then add the flour and mix well. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped almonds - the cream itself should be smooth, but almonds will make it look like chunky peanut butter. Reserve almond cream at room temperature until ready to use.

Increase oven temperature to 375°F {190°C}. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out over a generously floured countertop until it's about 1/4" thick. Using a paring knife, cut a rectangle 12 x 16" {30 x 40cm} . Carefully transfer the dough rectangle to prepared baking sheet.

Spread the citrus marmalade over the dough, leaving a 1" {2.5cm} border all the way around the tart.
Gently spread the almond cream over the marmalade. Fold the edges of the dough over to create a crust - this will keep the marmalade from seeping out. Place the tart in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.


While the tart is chilling, prepare the citrus:
Cut off both ends of the fruit with a sharp knife. The flat surface will allow the fruit to "stand". With a sharp knife and following the curve of the fruit, cut off all of the rind and pith. Place citrus on its side and cut crosswise into 1/4" rounds, carefully removing seeds or remaining pith.

Marmalade Tart Citrus Cake. a recipe from Big Sur Bakery Cookbook Making marmalade Tart Citrus Cake, recipe from Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

Remove the tart from the refrigerator - and now comes the fun part: 
arrange the different colored citrus slices evenly over the almond cream. Place them close together, but without letting them overlap. Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg, sprinkle the tart with sugar, going a bit heavier on the edges. Dot the citrus rounds with butter to prevent burning. 

Recipe for Marmalade Tart from Big Sur Bakery Cookbook © dinners with friendsMarmalade Tart Recipe Big Sur Bakery Cookbook © dinners with friendsRecipe Marmalade Tart from Big Sur Bakery Cookbook © dinners with friends

Bake tart for 40 to 45 minutes, until the almond cream and crust are a deep golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Marmalade Tart, recipe Big Sur Bakery Cookbook © dinners with friends

... and make sure to save a slice to enjoy with your coffee the next morning:

Marmelade Tart a great recipe from Big Sur Bakery Cookbook © dinners with friends

{.... adapted from a recipe in The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, a year-round favorite cookbook around this kitchen}

Follow along on Instagram ...

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all photos © dinners with friends

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