Sweet orange flavors with just a hint of tartness and a deliciously crunchy, cookie-like crust make this Blood Orange Tart perfect for Spring entertaining.
I was grocery shopping one morning and walked passed the blood oranges at the store and was suddenly struck to bake with them.
Heading home with 6 blood oranges in my bag, I started to brainstorm what to make with them. Knowing I wanted to highlight their gorgeous burnt orange color, a curd instantly came to mind which transformed into a blood orange tart.
My favorite part about this blood orange tart is its finished look. It’s beautifully impressive with its rich, pink-orange curd and ombre of orange slices on top. Simple yet elegant and luckily it tastes good too!
The blood orange curd is subtle with a sweet orange flavor and just a hint of tartness nestled into a deliciously crunchy, cookie-like crust. With the added fresh orange slices on top, the tart has a burst of fresh blood orange flavor that completes the dessert.
Although tarts seem intimidating, they’re really quite easy. I created a quick tutorial below on how to make the tart shell, which in my opinion, is the most difficult part. The key here is to ensure the crust remains a bit crumbly. It should just barely hold together once formed into a disk and placed into the false bottom tart shell.
Tart Shell Tutorial
The other magical part of this tart is the blood orange curd which requires freshly squeezed blood orange juice. To cut the sweetness of the blood orange juice, I added two tablespoons of lemon juice. A constant slow and steady heat while whisking until the curd reaches 175 degrees creates a smooth tart filling that’s creamy yet holds together once you slice into the tart.
The blood orange tart is light, fresh, and just plain delightful to eat. It pairs well as a fresh dessert to finish off a heavy meal or serves as a perfectly Springy dessert for Easter brunch or dinner.
- For the tart crust
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- For the blood orange curd
- 1/2 cup blood orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- zest from 2 blood oranges
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- For serving
- Blood orange slices, peels removed
- Fresh whipped cream
- Mint leaves for garnish
- Special equipment
- 9 or 10-inch false bottom tart pan
- Food processor
- Food thermometer
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Make the tart crust by creaming together butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Sift together the flour and salt then add it to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to form.
- The consistency is correct when the dough stays in a ball when clumped together in your hand. If it’s not forming into a ball, add in 1-3 tablespoon of water, one at a time, until the right consistency is reached. There may be crumbs of flour at the bottom of your bowl and that’s okay.
- Turn the dough & crumbs out onto a lightly floured surface and using your hand, gently work the dough together into a single ball. Roll the dough out into a flat 12-inch disk, about ¼ inch in thickness. Using a large spatula or by sliding the disk onto a sheet of parchment paper, transfer the disc to a 9 or 10-inch tart shell.
- Press the dough into the tart shell, allowing the edges to overhang. Use a sharp knife to remove any extra dough along the edge, ensuring the finished edge is flat and clean. Transfer the tart shell to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
- Once chilled, grease a sheet of foil large enough to fit into the tart shell and gently work it into the center of the shell. Fill the foil with dried beans or baking beads and blind bake the shell for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and beans, prick the tart shell with a fork and return it to the oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- While the tart shell is baking, make the blood orange curd. Add the blood orange zest and sugar to a food processor and pulse on high for 2-3 minutes until the zest is finely minced into the sugar.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the blood orange sugar for 1-2 minutes. Add in the eggs, 1 at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. On low, mix in the blood orange juice, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low heat whisking continuously until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. The curd should reach a temperature of 175F with a slight simmer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Once the curd and tart shell are both cooled to room temperature, pour the curd into the tart shell. Place the tart in the fridge for at least 2-hours prior to serving. Just before serving, remove the tart with its false bottom and decorate the tart with fresh orange slices and serve the tart slices with whipped green and a mint leaf garnish.
- The tart will stay fresh if refrigerated for up to 2 days.
