Description
These elegant Blood Orange Tarts with Vanilla Custard combine a buttery, flaky tart shell with smooth, creamy vanilla custard and vibrant blood orange slices. The tart shells are blind baked to perfection, filled with a luscious homemade vanilla custard, and topped with fresh, juicy blood orange slices glazed for a beautiful shine. Perfect for a refreshing dessert that balances citrus tang and sweet creaminess, these tarts serve six and take about 55 minutes from start to finish, including chilling time.
Ingredients
Scale
Tart Dough
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1-2 tablespoons ice water
- Pinch of salt
Vanilla Custard
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Topping & Glaze
- 3-4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional for glazing)
- 1 teaspoon water (optional for glazing)
Instructions
- Prepare Tart Dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse again, then add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just forms.
- Chill Dough: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up and make it easier to roll.
- Line Tart Pans: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut pieces to fit six 4-inch tart pans. Press the dough carefully into each pan and trim the edges. Chill the lined tart pans in the fridge for 20 minutes to prevent shrinking during baking.
- Blind Bake Shells: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line each tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans to keep the shape intact. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove weights and parchment paper and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the shells are golden brown. Let them cool completely before filling.
- Prepare Vanilla Custard: In a medium saucepan, gently heat the milk until steaming but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the custard thickens and bubbles, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and unsalted butter until smooth.
- Cool Custard: Transfer the custard to a clean bowl and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill and set.
- Assemble Tarts: Spoon the chilled vanilla custard evenly into the cooled tart shells. Arrange the thin blood orange slices in overlapping circles on top of the custard for an attractive, fresh presentation.
- Glaze and Chill: In a small saucepan, warm the honey with water until it becomes runny and easy to brush. Lightly brush this glaze over the blood orange slices to add shine and a touch of sweetness. Chill the assembled tarts until ready to serve, allowing the glaze to set and flavors to meld.
Notes
- Use cold butter for the tart dough to ensure a flaky crust.
- Pie weights or dried beans are essential to prevent the tart shells from puffing up during blind baking.
- Cover custard surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin formation.
- The honey glaze is optional but adds a beautiful shine and subtle sweetness.
- Blood oranges can be substituted with regular navel oranges or Cara Cara oranges if blood oranges are unavailable.
- Ensure custard is fully chilled before assembling for the best texture and to avoid melting the crust.
