Cecilia's Orange Cream Tarts

This is a reworking of the lemon cream tart, using orange instead.

Ingredients: Filling
1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 3 oranges
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
3/4 cup freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice
3 Tbs. lemon juice

1.25 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tbs. cold water

2.75 sticks of butter, at room temp, cut into 1 Tbs pieces.

Ingredients: Tart Base(s)
1.25 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Method: Tart Base

1. Preheat oven to 375F or 190C.
2. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter, and process until large moist crumbs form.
3. Transfer the dough to a round tart pan (9inch or 13cm in diameter or like I did in small tart pans).
4. With floured fingers press the dough into the pan.
5. Freeze until firm (around 15min, can also be left overnight)
6. Take out the freezer, and prick all over with a fork.
7. Cover with aluminum foil (butter the shiny side and place the buttered side down over the crust.
8. Bake for 25 min (or if making smaller tarts, bake for 15 min and then check).
9. Slowly remove foil, and gently press down any bubbles with the back of a spoon. Let cool down to room temp (keep in the tart pan).

Method: Filling
Have an instant read thermometer, a strainer and a blender at hand.
1.Bring a few inches of water to boil in a saucepan.
2. Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl (that will fit inside your saucepan of simmering water). Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, and very aromatic.
3. Whisk in the eggs, and then add the lemon juice and orange juice.
4. Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid.
5. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180F(around 82C) whisk the lemon cream the whole time.
6. Once it has reached 180F, remove it from the saucepan of simmering water and strain it into the blender. Throw away the lemon and orange zest.

7. Put the gelatin in a small bowl and add the cold water to it.

8. Microwave for 15seconds, and pour into the filling. Pulse the blender once to mix.
9. Wait until the temperature of the orange cream is 140F before turning the blender on.
10. Once it is 140F, turn on the blender, and proceed to feed the butter into the lemon cream 5 Tbs at a time. Make sure you periodically scrape down the sides of the blender.
11. Blend for 3 min. on the highest setting - this makes the cream lighter and airier.
12. Refrigerate for at least 4hours.

Assembly

1. Remove the orange cream from fridge, and whisk briskly until smooth and mailable.

2. Pour into tart bases.

3. Cut fresh orange into thin slices and place on top of tartletts.

4. Serve
Taken from Dorie Greenspans book "Baking: From My Home to Yours" pp. 331-33.