I made this unusual tart for a small brunch party last weekend, and it was devoured -- with gusto -- in a flash. Not to worry -- I made the same tart this morning, so that you could taste it, too!
The tart has just three components: a no-roll Pâte brisée sucrée crust, a simple cream cheese-and-orange zest filling, and a glistening crown of marmalade-glazed orange slices. It's easy to assemble, pretty to serve, and oh, so scrumptious to eat.
If I were you, I'd serve this rustic poetry for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea. Here's the step-by-step recipe:
To start, make a batch of Pâte brisée sucrée (see recipe in printable version below), and pour it into a fluted, 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan.
No removable-bottom tart pan for you? Get one. I purchased my sturdy French-made model for less than $12 from Amazon.
Use the bottom and sides of a measuring cup to press the buttery crumbs against the bottom and sides of the pan.
Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes, then dock the bottom (not the sides) all over with the tines of a fork.
This next step might not be necessary after you freeze the crust, but I do it anyway: Cover the shell with aluminum foil, and add pie weights. My pie weights are simply dried beans. I store them in a plastic tub, and use them over and over again.
Bake the crust on a pastry sheet for 15 minutes. Then remove the beans and foil, and bake until the sides begin to color, and the bottom of the crust feels dry -- 10-15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
Onto the filling!
Fling 2 blocks of softened cream cheese into a green bowl...
Add some confectioners' sugar...
And the grated zest of 2 medium-size navel oranges. I hope you have a microplane zester thingy.
Using a stout spoon, briskly beat the cream cheese mixture until it looks as smooth and silky as a beagle's ears.
The ears in question.
Scoop the mixture into the tart shell, and spread it out with an offset spatula. Then pop the works into the fridge for 2 hours (or overnight).
On serving day, peel 2 or 3 medium-size navel oranges, removing as much of the pith as possible.
I know what the Food Police are thinking:
KEVIN, THE PITH CONTAINS VITAMIN C!
Pffft. Our crust contains 1 stick of butter. And our cream cheese filling is hardly diet food. So at this point, we probably shouldn't worry about some scant nutrients found in the bitter pith of an orange.
Slice the oranges crosswise into thin (about 1/8-inch-thick) rounds...
And then remove the tough center-pith from each round.
Arrange the orange donuts in some decorative manner on top of the tart. Or, just toss them on capriciously, and tell your guests that you've made a "rustic" tart.
My orange buddies arranged themselves in overlapping concentric circles. Well, they tried their best.
To make the glistening glaze, simply melt some orange marmalade (or apricot preserves) in the microwave, and then strain it through a wire-mesh sieve. Use the back of a spoon to push the syrup through the sieve. Brush the syrup all over the oranges, and then unmold the tart onto a plate or platter.
Are you ready for this next step?
Are you really, really, ready?
Cut yourself a great big slice of this sweet, citrussy sonnet, and wash it down with coffee, tea, or my own beverage of choice: a big honking bottle of chilled Prosecco.
Well. I hope you'll try this tart some day. And if you don't care for oranges because they remind you of a 1959 Miss America runner-up who hawked citrus for a growers' association until someone threw a pie in her face on live television, well...feel free to top the tart with other fruits or berries. The crust and filling are wonderful all on their own!
And here, just to make your life a little easier, is a printable version of the above:
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:25]
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Also from Kevin's Kitchen:
Quinoa Stuffing with Leeks, Sage, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Angelic Zucchini Fritters
Sunday Brunch: Make-Ahead Blueberry Streusel Strata (GF)
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