Oh, how I love this tart. The smell of orange and chocolate together reminds me of my poppa. Sounds strange, but it smells like the candy cupboard did at their house. Still does, a little bit. While the smell of that cupboard may have faded, the memories have not. You see, my poppa (my mom’s dad) was the captain of a lake ship called the Chicago Tribune. It travelled between Quebec and Chicago. He docked at loading dock of the Chicago Tribune newspaper to unload their newsprint. While the ship was being unloaded poppa would visit a candy store next to the loading dock and stock up on candy to bring home for us! The candy was kept in this same cupboard for all the years I can remember. Long after he retired the cupboard still smelled of all the candy. My nephew lives in the house now, so I can still open the double doors and stick my head in hoping to breath in the memories. But I realized while I was cooking up some orange curd, and melting chocolate side by side that those memories are alive in my kitchen.
ENJOY!
- CRUST:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1 vanilla bean
- 3 tablespoons ground almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup ground hazelnuts
- FILLING
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange jucie
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature and cubed
- TOPPING
- 1/2 cup 35% whipping cream
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- CRUST
- In a large bowl beat butter and confectioners sugar and beat on low just to combine.
- Split vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and add to sugar/butter mixture. Add ground almonds and salt and beat on low until ingredients are combine and smooth.
- With a wooden spoon beat in egg.
- Sift in flour and add ground hazelnuts and stir with wooden spoon just until combined.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten into disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
- FILLING
- Whisk sugar, orange juice, egg yolks and while egg in a metal bowl.
- Place bowl over pot of simmering water and gently whisk the mixture until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. You can step away now and again, and just whisk gently.
- When the curd has thickened remove from heat and strain into a bowl, and whisk in butter until it is completely melted.
- Chill curd until set, approximately 2 hours
- TOPPING
- Beat whipping cream on high just until it starts to thicken.
- Add sugar and melted chocolate and continue whipping until thick.
- ASSEMBLY
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove tart dough from fridge. Using 4 inch fluted tart shells with removable bottoms, roll dough and cut to fit. Place dough into tart pan and trim top edges if necessary. Place tart shells on a baking sheet and dock each with a fork.
- Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven to cool.
- Spoon filling into each prepared tart shell and smooth with an off set spatula.
- Fill a piping bag with chocolate whipped cream fitted with a large plain tip and pipe a mound of whipped cream into the centre of each tart.
- Garnish as desired.
I garnished my tarts with shelled hazelnuts dipped in melted sugar. Roast whole hazelnuts for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove skins. Insert a toothpick into the bottom of each one. Prepare a piece of Styrofoam so that it hangs slightly over the edge of the counter, placing a heavy book on it to support it. Heat 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until melted, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add an additional 1/2 cup sugar and continue stir and heat until it changes to a light amber liquidy paste and finally to a dark amber caramel color. Remove from heat and set bottom of pot into a bowl of cold water to stop cooking process. Remove from water and allow to sit for a moment. Dip each hazelnut into caramel, remove and hand upside down by sticking toothpick into Styrofoam and allow it to form a long drip. Allow to harden. Trim length of drip if necessary.
Joy @ Yesterfood says
Maureen, this tart is so beautiful- I saw it at What’s You Do This Weekend party, and it caught my eye. I am a huge fan of orange and chocolate, so I know I would love this. The orange curd sounds heavenly.
I am so glad to have found your Red Cottage. 🙂 I am following on Pinterest, Twitter, and also on Facebook (Liked your page from my personal page so it will “count” for you). Looking forward to keeping up with you!
Maureen says
Welcome Joy! I am so glad you stopped by…..and decided to follow along 🙂 I am looking forward to exploring Yesterfood. I love the concept!
Leilani says
Maureen! This is off-the-charts fabulous!! I am such a fan of recipes that take love and care to prepare. Those are always the best. 🙂 And I love anything with citrus curd. May just make that and eat it with a spoon. Yum! Props, gurl.
Heather {Woods of Bell Trees} says
The hazelnut sugars look stunning!
Linda says
I am intrigued with the dipped hazlenuts. They are so pretty. This whole tart makes me drool. Thanks for linking to What’d You Do This Weekend,
Linda
Maureen says
Thank you Linda!
Ashley @ PioneerMomma.com says
What a wonderful memory! It makes the recipe all the more special. And thanks for showing how you did the dipped hazelnuts, that was the first thing I looked at! Pinning 🙂
Maureen says
Thank you Ashley! Isn’t the hazelnut decoration cute….and so easy as well!
Ali says
Wow that is impressive! Chocolate and orange go so well together. Sweet story of remembering your grandpa through the smell of candy 🙂 Dropping by from the Wonderful Wed. Blog Hop. Have a great rest of the week!
Maureen says
Thank you Ali! The memory kind of hit me all of a sudden, as I was trying to place why the scent was so familiar!
Ali says
Maureen- Here I am back again to thank you for also linking up this beautiful tart to Recipe Sharing Monday. Have a good weekend!
Lorraine @ Cookin' For the Seven Dwarfs says
Oh my word! How pretty is this dessert?! This is one of my favorites at Sweet & Savoury Sunday! Thanks for linking up with us, and definitely pinning so I can make this! 🙂
Maureen says
Wow! Thank you Lorraine! So happy to have the opportunity to share 🙂
Laura@baking in pyjamas says
That tart looks amazing, I’m learning how to make pies and tarts throughout the year and I’d love for mine to look like yours. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sundays, stop by and link up again this weekend.
Maureen says
Thank you Laura! I will be making some cinnamon caramel ice cream to link up this week!