Tuesday, February 8, 2011

FFwD: Orange-Almond Tart

THIS TART JUST MIGHT HOLD A TOP ROW PLACE IN OUR HOUSE DESSERTS FOR THE COMING YEARS
LOTS OF YUMMY LAYERS:  SHORTBREAD CRUST, ALMOND CREAM FILLING, GLAZED FRESH ORANGES ON TOP---BAKED TO PERFECTION


MADE FROM NAVEL ORANGES FROM MY TREE
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL OF YOU!

This week’s Orange-Almond Tart is one of my favorites so far with the FFwD group.  (You know this group has become a part of my life when my 8 year old granddaughter interviews me to find out  if I’m on track with FfwD.. She wants to know if I’m prepared for my next “assignment”, and she asks if my postings are up to date. And she wants to know if this is a “dessert week.”  And she is well trained...she also wants to know if this is a chocolate “dessert week”.)

This recipe is:

1.)   Perfect for this season in AZ
 It is citrus season.  I have about 20 citrus trees in my back yard; two are navel orange trees.

2.)   I tried something new
We have been brainwashed to know that one does not cook with or juice navel oranges.  They are meatier and drier than the juice oranges, and about 20 minutes after peeling they become a bit bitter...our juice is not as good if they have been added to the mix.  I have taught classes for the Town of Gilbert, AZ  and for Church on how to use our local citrus, and I have used info from ASU and the county extension service who all  confirm that cooking with navel oranges is not a good idea.  BUT THE ORANGES IN THIS TART WERE WONDERFUL!!!  Sweet, tender, and perfect!  (And even though dried out, they are still juicy.)

3.)  I found  relief!
Last week was the coldest in decades.  When the northern and eastern states were bombarded with blizzards and frigid temperatures, we wimpy Arizonans had to endure a hard frost...hard enough to do major damage to our citrus crop.  I carefully covered up, with many layers of blankets, sheets, and towels, my young, small trees, and just said a prayer for the big ones.  A few mornings ago they all looked terrible, but after tending, watering, talking to them, and praying more for them, they are all looking much, much better today.

When the fruit freezes, it becomes dry and often rots.  The juice oranges have no juice...it just retracts back into the tree to nourish the branches and  to save the tree from freezing.  Or it just is damaged, the fruit eventually turns black and falls off.  Normally. when there is no hard frost,  we have fruit well into July.  If you have ever peeled a lovely orange just to find it dry and yucky on the inside, it was probably frost bitten before it was harvested.

BLOSSOMS ARE YIELDING TO THE TINY NEW FRUIT
PICKED JUST 5 MINUTES AGO
My relief came when I dared to use some of our fruit, and it is juicy, sweet, and seems to be OK.  There are even new blossoms that seem to be fine.  We did lose most of our garden, some shrubs, etc...but all our citrus has survived!
PEELING MY JUICY ORANGES
I decided to double the recipe.  This tart has several steps: Make the  art crust dough,  mix the almond cream, refrigerate these two steps, partially bake the crust, prepare the oranges ahead so they can dry and not be too juicy, put the tart together so that it is beautiful, and then bake the tart.  And then...glaze the tart and dust with confectioners’ sugar.  It makes a bit of a mess and with all the steps and clean-up, it is no trouble to make an extra tart.  So...one for the office and one for home.  YUM!

PREPARED ORANGE SLICES ARE DRYING--OVER NIGHT
I’m not an alcohol user, so I just used a teaspoon of rum flavoring, and I added two teaspoons of water to the sweet tart dough, which, probably due to dry AZ, was just too dry  without a tiny bit more moisture.  With these exceptions the recipe was followed with wonderful results.  
Joe, down at Liberty Market in downtown Gilbert near our office, puts out some great desserts using family recipes.  Hubby complimented me when he said that my tart would be a hit down at Joe’s market.  Hubby ate 3 slices and then went to the gym to work it off.  I’ll bet that when he gets home, he will down another piece.  And, of course, I have to keep up with him!
THE TART DOUGH ROLLED OUT NICELY

ONE IS SQUARE

AND ONE IS ROUND

TINY ONES FOR THE KIDDIES--THE RE-ROLLED SCRAPS WORK JUST FINE

THE ALMOND CREAM FIRMED UP NICELY WHEN REFRIGERATED

FILLED AND READY FOR THE OVEN AS SOON AS TOPPED WITH THE ORANGE SLICES
It’s always nice to find recipes that use what I have on hand.  It was a joy to step outside into my little piece of heaven (72^ today) where I could pick fresh fruit for this recipe.  And the other ingredients are always in my pantry...nothing unusual. 
MY PIECE TO TASTE...WELL, ONE OF THEM
It was also nice to try something new and to learn to use my oranges in a new way.  I am excited to see all of your tarts.  I wish I could have had you all over to pick fresh oranges for this assignment.  You are such a positive and fun group of people; I’m sure we would have had a good time.
HOME BAKED TO PERFECTION!
Hope you all have a Valentine Sweetheart to share this wonderful tart.  I will definitely try this recipe again and maybe use pears or some other tasty fruit.

20 comments:

  1. Your tarts look fantastic! I over baked my tartlets, but they tasted great! Love your photos!

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  2. Did you partially bake the tart shell before filling?

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  3. Yes, I covered the unbaked shell with parchment paper, filled with beans which I have reused for years, and baked for 20 minutes...then removed the beans and baked for 5 minutes before filling and baking again.

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  4. How fabulous that you could use your own oranges! And I love that you made both a round and square version! This dessert went fast in our house...definitely a keeper!

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  5. Terrific post! I love all the variations! I made mine with pears this time.

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  6. Very lovely. Am so jealous of the citrus tree in the back yard! Great square tart pan too!

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  7. What a treat to have oranges picked right from the backyard. Your tarts are the first in the LYL that are glazed. I like the shiny look.

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  8. I'm jealous! Oranges from your own trees. Wonderful.

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  9. As I am in no way a gardener I never thought I could be jealous of a garden...but to go pick your own oranges???? WOW! 20 trees??? I have no words.
    Happy Valentines day to you too!

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  10. How wonderful that you were able to use navel oranges from your own tree! The taste must have been that much more flavorful. I'm glad the cold snap didn't harm your fruit or your tree. Such a cute story about your granddaughter!

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  11. Oh ur lovely Orange tree is having me gaga:-)
    Wish i had a tree too:-)
    Love that picked jus 5mins ago pic , how cool is that!
    And love how u made different sized tarts for all ur loved ones!
    Did u get so many tarts with one recipe of Almond cream or did u double it ?
    MAybe i missed that!
    Oh Joe's corner sounds good too and u'll have lodsa demand with tarts like these:-)

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  12. Wow- I was not sure about how to do the oranges so bailed and used the Mandarin's. You gave me such an amazing amount of info and photos that I can't wait to work with them again. Thought the next tart will be a pear one :) Loved how your Granddaughter asks about FF's- my sons do too and it is amazing how they will remember these little things later on.....

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  13. They all look beautiful! I love your square pan ... I may have to go and find one of those! I also appreciated the little lesson on citrus. I've been trying to grow lemons for years, but I never have any luck. Maybe it's worth another try!

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  14. Crust. My nemesis. Yet yours was perfect and I followed the same instructions. I would make tarts ever day if they looked like yours! Great job!

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  15. color me jealous that you have an orange tree! Swoon!

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  16. Hi! Thanks for the welcome! I love your blog! How exciting that you got to use oranges from your own trees. That must have made your tart extra delicious. Yours turned out beautifully!

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  17. Beautiful tarts…How I would love to have a orange tree in my back yard! Lucky you!

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  18. I love reading about your orange trees, and how you had to take care of them to help the oranges survive the frost. Covering them up with blankets, etc. - I never would have thought of that. (I do not have a green thumb.) I'm glad the oranges are still juicy!

    And the tarts look great. I love the mini-ones. And I got a kick out of hearing that your husband ate three slices then went to the gym. Did he eat another slice when he came home?

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  19. Oh, I love the square tart and the mini tarts and the round tart! Guess I just love them all.

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  20. I am so jealous of your garden! My friend left me her lemon tree (in the pot) when she moved away, but it was unskillfully pruned by her husband. It had a few blossoms and one piece of fruit which stayed one size for two months without growing. I had to get rid of it, sadly.
    But when I get a house with a yard, I know who to ask for advice! In the meantime I'll go buy me another citrus plant in the pot, but this time I'll take care of it properly:)

    I loved this tart, too (as you know:), but now I want the pans! I used the ceramic quiche pan, but yours look so beautiful, that I have to make a run to HomeGoods and see what they have to offer:)

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