Have you ever lost a recipe? A couple years ago, a reader emailed me, sending me a link to a delicious-looking blood orange tart that she thought I might enjoy. The photo that accompanied the recipe was startling — fiery, purple and magenta coins of oranges with burnished edges laid over a rustic tart base and if ever a photo could reel me in, that one was it.
Unfortunately, nearly as instantly as I fell for the tart, I lost it. And I know what you’re thinking: how do you lose a tart you’ve never made, never eaten and that is fully available on the internet? But somehow I managed to, and spent the next two years Googling it to no end, stumbling onto hundreds of blood orange tart recipes and never finding That One again. When I saw that blood oranges were once again in season this year, I vowed that this time, I would not leave my computer until I found it and it worked! Do you know where I found it? A totally random and very obscure Web site called Food & Wine.
Happily reunited, I vowed to never part with this recipe again and to seal our alliance in the most public of arenas (hm, can you someone has been watching a lot of Rome lately? Thiiiiiiiirteenth!) … I made it for dessert for our inaugural dinner party last Tuesday and it was gone in about sixty seconds. (Likely because I’d somehow thought it would be enough dessert for 12 people. Details.) Oh, and it’s so easy to make, you’ll really kick yourself if you part with it for very long.
Note: You can watch an Instagram demo of this recipe here.
One year ago: Key Lime Cheesecake with Mango Ribbons
Two years ago: Paula Wolfert’s Hummus
Flaky Blood Orange Tart
Adapted from Zoe Nathan, via Food and Wine
This basic, rustic crostata approach — thinly sliced fruit, some sugar, some butter and a flaky dough — is something you can use with any fruit, any time you want a quick and pretty dessert. (We’ve used this previously with the Simplest Apple Tart.) But really, it’s the perfect way to use blood oranges; nothing will better show off their pretty hues.
A new note: The original recipe calls for up to 10 blood oranges, but I’ve never needed more than 8, so I’ve adjusted the recipe below
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, the 1/2 cup cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
3 tablespoons ice water
7 to 8 blood oranges (about 5 ounces each)
1 large egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
Deep, Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce, for serving
Make pastry: In a food processor, pulse the 1 cup of flour with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the baking powder and salt. Add the stick of cold butter and pulse several times, just until it is the size of peas. Sprinkle the dough with the ice water and pulse just until moistened crumbs form. Turn the crumbs out onto a work surface, knead once or twice and pat the pastry into a disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to an 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper–lined flat cookie sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until chilled.
Prepare filling: Meanwhile, peel the blood oranges, removing all of the bitter white pith. Thinly slice 2 of the oranges crosswise; remove the pits. Transfer the orange slices to a plate. Working over a sieve set over a bowl, cut in between the membranes of the remaining oranges, releasing the sections into the sieve. Remove the pits and gently shake out as much juice as possible without mashing the sections; you will need 1 cup of sections. Reserve the orange juice for another use.
Assemble: Arrange the orange sections on the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar over the oranges. Using a paring knife, thinly slice the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the oranges. Fold up the pastry over the oranges, leaving most of the oranges uncovered. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Arrange the orange slices on top, leaving a 1-inch border of pastry all around. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on top. Freeze the tart until solid, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Bake: Heat your oven to 375° and position a rack in the center. Place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake the tart directly from the freezer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is deeply browned. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and let the tart cool for 30 minutes. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto the rack and let the tart cool completely. Serve with the Deep Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce.
wow – a little piece of heaven! Looks easy to make and I’m all about easy-to-make recipes. Thanks!
Gorgeous!
Wow – I bet that would taste great with some homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Until I knock off a couple of couch surfing pounds, I’ll just have to dream about getting to this bookmarked recipe.
I think I just died a little. That is gorgeous! I never thought to put oranges into a tart until I found a recipe for an orange and marjoram tart in the NYTimes a few years ago. After that, I was hooked.
But didn’t you swear off baked citrus after the clementine clafoutis? Or does blood orange stand up better to the delicious-baked-dessert-making process? (Although, frankly, you could probably top the tart base with vegetable peelings so long as you served it with that caramel sauce.)
That looks… ……. …………… *wiping drool off the keyboard*
Oh, and I’ve totally lost recipes, googled them to death, and then found them on Epicurious. Duh.
When I lived in New Orleans I worked at a place that did blood orange mimosas–so good at brunch. This is so pretty…wish I could find blood oranges around here. Anyone think regular oranges would cut it?
Is the freezing mostly for the sake of the pastry, or does it improve the way the blood oranges bake? Or both — keeping the juices from going nutso on the flakiness? In any case, it’s lovely in a stained-glass sunbeam sort of way!
Gorgeous tart! I bought blood oranges but the skins were IMPOSSIBLE to peel!
Hey, for someone who is going to win BEST BLOG! I am going to treat you to a manicure for your first real photo shoot! But I guess no one would know the difference if some red got into the tart!!!! (I am teasing!).
Stacey
Totally stunning! So glad you found this one. Thanks for sharing!
that is an obscure site! all kidding aside, i always forget to chekc f&w.
mmm- I just had a blood orange last week! They are so good. They look gorgeous too.
oh deb it is so pretty! i am obsessed with blood oranges – the color is like nothing else. i can’t wait to try this.
Wow, what color! That is a beautiful bright tart for this time of year. I can’t wait to try your caramel sauce – it does sound good on everything. Best of luck on the Bloggies, I voted for you!
Phoo-D
Jesse, I agree – seriously dying over here. MMMMMMMM!!!
Whats with the green tinged tart in the final picture?
If I were you I wouldn’t wear flaking red nail polish while preparing/serving dishes with the same red color – no guest wants to find bits of nail polish in their dessert.
Do you cook the tart directly on the oven rack? Or put it on it’s own cookie sheet? I’m making this as soon as I can get my hands on some of those oranges… mmm. Thanks Deb!
Maybe this is what the sign meant in the produce section of my local grocery store when it suggested ruby red grapefruits as perfect for juice and in pies (shudders while typing)? Nevertheless, I will maybe NOT make that substitution when I make this recipe. Which is worth making just for that sauce oh my lord. I’m with Jayne about the vegetable peelings.
Can’t help but think this would be awesome with rosemary…
Thanks for this recipe. I have a tree full of these suckers and have made marmalade and lots of juice for drinking. The caramel sauce is inspired.
I think we are on the same wavelenght…I just passed a blood orange today and wondered what I could bake with them! And now I know :D
PS- Might I add that I love that your nail polish is chipped and you aren’t afraid to show it! I love the realness of your pictures. No fluff here.
Hi! Same question as Tara–I am confused whether you cook on a parchment covered cookie sheet or directly on the oven rack with a cookie sheet below…
Oooh, Deb…
I have a long standing, deep, loving relationship with blood oranges. Way back in 1971, y’know when dinosaurs walked the earth, I went on a ski trip with my parents to Austria. Most of the food at this lovely little chalet( in Lech, and then Zurs) was disgusting (WTF is this chopped up SWEETENED bologna all over this wonderful food?).
I was quite sure I was going to starve to death…until…
This wonderful Australian waitress brought me..
#1 The most amazing croissant that i have ever experienced (and I am not easily impressed!) with a bucket o’ butter….
AND..
Blood oranges..although they told me they were ” Bluten Oraaahhngesss” (sp?)
I think I ate 10 of them that day..
I am swooning over the “bluten orange”…
Anything with the blood orange is awsome. this recipe will be served in this houw within 24 hours!
Deb, Too!
Those look stunning. And delicious too. I made some blood orange cupcakes recently, and I’m really excited to have another recipe to try with them!
wow, that looks incredible!! i’m sure blood oranges would look pretty in anything…
Devine! Thanks for the caramel recipe; love it but always struggle with melted sugar & such.
Also thanks for pointing this cyber challenged broad to scale over on the vote site…. Have now voted (for you of course) and have my fingers crossed; hard to type but it’s for the cause!
I need to find blood oranges! This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I actually have never baked with oranges. Orange liquer, orange juice, yes. I am excited to try the actual fruit. Thanks!
Once again, your timing couldn’t be more perfect. I had to buy an entire bag of them at the grocery (when I only need 2), so now I have something fabulous to do with the rest….
Deb, check out your logo’d cupcake! http://www.flickr.com/photos/bakerella/3226819324/
i’ve gotta hit the gym so i can get to this before citrus season is up. i haven’t seen blood oranges in my megamarket yet.
beautiful photos for this recipe!
A great recipe, & you’re right about the picture. But in your defense, I have to say that I have lost recipes on F & W too, ones that I _know_ appeared in the magazine…
One of my friends LOVES blood oranges. I’ve never had one, but I will be on a mission to taste them in and out of this tarte.
I’m sitting home looking at those gorgeous pictures. Wow that looks good.
How beautiful! I love the photo with the one peeled blood orange. I bet this was fantastic.
Here is a similar recipe from “Fine Cooking.” It has a custardy filling but also uses the orange/blood orange topping. I’m sure whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or mascarpone cream would be delicious on top.
oops – here is the link: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/orange-brown-butter-tart.aspx?nterms=52314
Those photos are gorgeous! I’ve never had a blood orange. This looks like the perfect way to enjoy my first one. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, that is really beautiful. I bet my family would love this.
The tart looks beautiful! I liked the reference to Rome. I watched it on DVD last fall, I was so sad when it was over.
Wow wow wow! This looks so amazing!!! Maybe I’ll dig for some change for some blood oranges. Wish me luck!
Wow, this is just gorgeous! I haven’t seen blood oranges in my grocery store yet this season, but I’m definitely watching for them.
Deb!!!! The Last Course cookbook came in the mail today signed by Claudia Fleming herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got so excited I almost screamed in the post office. And then thought of you. :) Hope you’ve had a fantastic day! Thanks for sharing the tips on how to get it!!
This is so pretty, but I just can’t fathom blood oranges, or any oranges, in a pie or tart. It doesn’t seem like it’s sweet enough and also the cross slices would be hard to cut with the side of a fork. Obviously I have no imagination. Aren’t the membranes a little tough?
Isn’t the combination of non-lemon citrus and pastry weird?
I believe comment 44 asked the same thing in a much better way :) It was exactly what I was thinking on both accounts.
Mmmmm… This looks so lovely! Glad you found it :)
I thought the oranges might be a bit too wet for something like this – making the pastry soggy…but, it looks nice and crispy in the first picture.
p.s. I love Rome too, so much! I need another season – though I think that’s so not happening.
ooooo I love Rome too, we got the 1st box set for christmas! Thiiiiiiiiiiirteenth!!!!
this looks gorgeous, all fresh and lovely and light YUM!
As far as the blog awards go, they should just call off the competition and declare you the winner in all three categories. I checked out the other nominees and there is no contest. You are the Meryl Streep of the food bloggers.
Best of Luck.
I am not very much into oranges, but I will definitely try this. Thanks for the inspiration.
Looks great! Do you think this would work with other oranges? The trees in my yard don’t produce blood oranges :)
I voted, you are worth the effort:).
I’m glad you found it, Deb, because that is wonderful! All I could ask for now is a slice of this tart and some Titus Pullo… er, I mean, an episode of Rome. :D
I love blood oranges, but I never thought of making a tart with them. I like the peel and eat method. At first glance I thought that they were over a cream cheese base. Looks dleicious, and if my neighbor’s tree is still producing and he gives me some, I might try this if I can spare some fromjust eating them. I might even try this with a cream cheese base.
Wow. The colors in this are absolutely stunning. I love the look of rustic tarts. My favorite is usually either the brilliant ruby of seasonal plums, or the mellow orange of nectarines. Sometimes if I’m feeling funky, a combination of both. This sounds like a delightful way to chase the Winter blues away.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy your posts! I have only come to your site recently after seeing a link on chez pim’s site to you. All I want to do now is stay home and cook! You have my votes- this tart looks scrumptious.
I made this when the recipe came out, I think it was last year? I loved it! I actually made it a few days ahead and froze it. It was so good, with such a buttery crust. I am glad you enjoyed it too!
WOW…. the colors are fabulous. This is a keeper for sure. Thanks so much
zesty
Sarah — Holy cr**! That’s awesome. Where did you order it from? Or is it top secret information? :)
Susan — Interesting that you say that, because one of my schticks about blood oranges is that I think that they’re sweeter than most oranges, but have an orange flavor on the mild side. Basically, I think the best thing about them is how pretty they are, which is why this recipe is perfect: it shows them off. As for you other questions, I found the membranes in mine very soft, and the tart just the right level of sweet. Oranges don’t need a whole lot to make them sweet enough to eat.
Greg — I am sure other oranges would work; use whatever you can get!
As for the pastry crust/baked citrus questions: You know, I was concerned about baking citrus too. I generally don’t think … well, that it is the best thing for citrus flavor. It often makes it bitter. But in this, it’s wonderful, perhaps because the pieces inside aren’t dried out or cooked until they’re “dead”. It tastes very fresh when it is done.
Deb, I think all of your recipes are great, but what are YOU doing for the big game on Sunday?
We both must have had blood oranges on the brain. I made blood organge marmalade last night. The recipe is in the current Bon Appetit.
Jennifer — Me? Watch football? Heh. I mean, I’ll go to a Superbowl Party but really, I’m just there for the commercials. Oh, you mean cooking? I think you can’t go wrong with soft pretzels or a mega-pan of blondies.
This sounds and looks fabulous. And I have Blood Oranges in my fridge right now! I find myself making numerous copies of sacred recipes lately in fear that I’m going to misplace them (my kitchen filing system has much to be desired).
This looks spectacular! I’ve lurked for a long time and adore you. And your dishes!
Such an interesting idea! I’d never considered using citrus in that form before in tarts and pies…only ever done curd. But it really is beautiful, and certainly unusual.
You are a heartless woman. (jovial grin) Exposing a diabetic who has had a quadruple bypass who absolutely loves caramel to a recipe made up of sugar, butter and cream. Seriously it sounds wonderful. Unfortunately I have never seen blood oranges in my town. (North of North Dakota – temp was windchill -39F this morning).I think that I’ll try it with pears and mango. Thanks for the wonderful blog. When I first found it I sat down and read all your archives. You are an excellent writer – clear, concise, complete – and your photography is superb – composition and layout. Thank you for making my retirement better – and my kitchen more interesting.
I found this recipe two days ago on Food and Wine. Had lots of blood oranges and didn’t know what to do with them. I was however a bit afraid that this tart would be a little dry, because the orange juice doesn’t really thicken. So I made a delicious bood orange sauce (or soft set jam), that I will be adding to the fresh oranges when I make this tart. Sounds delish, hopefully It will turn out well.
Thanks for your reply to my question about the membranes. I have a tree full of navel oranges that will have to suffice (aw..too bad, huh?) for this as it’d be nice for a change for my daily two. I’ve made this caramel sauce many, MANY times already. This is as good (or better) a vehicle as any! BTB..you aren’t the only one that loses recipes. I thought I got my caramel sauce recipe from Smitten Kitchen a while back..and when I went looking a week or so ago, I couldn’t find it!
What was I thinking?
Wow. I am at a loss for words. Blood oranges (in all their intense, tangy deliciousness) are my favourite fruit. I love rustic style tarts too, so needless to say this is the most amazing recipe I have come across in a long time. I love the artful touch of putting the cross-sections on top!
Deb –
My mom, sister, and I are in love with your blog. My family swooned over your velvety pumpkin pie recipe over thanksgiving.
Just wanted to let you know that the ‘flaky blood orange tart’ is now on the ‘5 most popular recipe searches’ for today on foodandwine.com. This is thanks to you, no doubt!
One quick question – what food processor do you recommend? I have a combo food processor/blender from cuisinart, and I had so much trouble with it the last time I tried to make crust. It just didn’t want to blend my butter with the flour, and everything became a blobby mass. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
WOW iI just found your site and absolutely love it!!!!! I can’t wait to try some of these. Yours pictures are beautiful!!!!!
I am new to blogging and photography
I am a crazy wierd fun loving, mommy to two and I am going on a journey of learning to be healthy, green and organic living on a cattle ranch!!!
Oh that looks just divine. Something about those bloody blood oranges gets our taste buds tingling!
Gorgeous! The funny thing is, in your pic it almost looks like a pizza with some soppressata or something…hm, which also sounds good right about now. :)
Thanks for the post — I might have to give this a try, even though my holiday cashew brittle antics have left me nervous around making sugar/caramel anything.
hey! i’ve never thought of freezing the tart. I supppose it solves the problem of leaky tarts? great way to make ahead! i’ll make it this weekend for friends =)
wow. wow. wow.
i cannot wait to make this.
i’m officially adding you to my list of favorites on my new cooking blog.
now i’m off to spend hours scrolling through all of your other recipes.
holy smokes…
Beautiful tart! I adore blood oranges (even though I hate the name, couldn’t someone have thought of something prettier?)!
The season always seems so short, so I buy bags of them and need to use them up. This tart will be perfect!
SHUT THE OVEN DOOR! THIS IS GORGEOUS!
Love the photos– I’m drooling! (and i voted for you!!!)
Love you’re site. Thanks for the recipe.
This looks amazing. I’m trying to lose weight so I won’t be making this anytime soon, but it really did make me want to go get a nice juicy blood orange to eat fresh!
The tart and photos look absolutely beautiful. This tart is without a doubt, a
show stopper.
I just went to foodandwine.com and on the home page the top 5 searched recipes from today include your blood orange tart. I think you’ve created quite a stir.
Cakes are pretty, pies are lovely, but this is a really beautiful breakfast, I mean dessert.
I remember the first time I gave my kids a blood orange – they were freaked by the color inside – and then amazed by the taste.
I only ever have blood orange with Campari – i’m inspired!
Love it – and it’s healthy too (with all of those oranges, it has to be healthy, right?)
Another yummy looking dessert. Adding “look for blood oranges at the store” to my list so I can try out the recipe.
wow! that looks absolutely stunning! you are such an inspiration!!!
Ooops, time to get your nails done. If you arrive early on Sunday, we can get $5 manicures downstairs before the game. And by game I mean that thing with all the amazing commericials! yay!
You’re coming right? You better!! After all, Alex invented the BDL superbowl party.
Your tart looks beautiful and rustic. Just what I love. I’ve never baked with oranges before, and now I think I HAVE to. Thanks!
Perfect winter substitute for Tarte Tatin, but that Salty Caramel sauce looks to die for. I’m a sucker for anything Salty Caramel.
I’m diggin’ it Deb!
Congratulations on all the nominations! That’s pretty rock star of you to pull it in with three categories. Voted? I did… for you! Incidentally, did you see who pulled out a Best New Blog nomination? Yea… Joy the Baker. Wha!?
Just wanted to let you know that I oh so happily voted for you. Good luck!
I can’t believe people noticed your nail polish. I only have eyes for those beautiful blood oranges. I’m glad they’re finally catching on in the US.
isn’t it such a good feeling, when what was lost is found?
i can see why this one in particular haunted you for so long- it’s gorgeous. can’t wait to try it out.
this is like cooking porn. I am making this for a special dinner very soon. thank you! also, I was at a party this past weekend and the host whispered to me, “try the smashed chickpea salad….it’s from….smitten kitchen!” and I freaked out cuz we are both big fans of yours. carry on!
Good on you for perservering until you found this recipe – it looks magnificent.
This looks incrediblely delicious! I can’t wait to try it this weekend! Thank you!
This looks beautiful. I can tell how flakey and flavorful your crust is. Just gorgeous.
Do you think I could do this with a sheet of puff pastry for the crust? I have a sheet that has been in my freezer for a while and should be used soon.
Sure. I bet it would be delicious, but make sure it is sealed well or it will leak a lot.
I just served this for dinner w/my family tonight. Yummy! I was skeptical of baked oranges too. The juice from the oranges oozed out and burned in the oven though. Thank God I baked it on parchment paper. I only baked it for 1 hour. I also added a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Thanks!
WOW! That looks gorgeous! Forget about serving that for dessert, that is bound to be my breakfast next Saturday! What a wonderful Valentine’s Day treat as well!
Don’t want to sound like “the Chorus”, but oh my did this point tickle my fancies. I made it straight away this past weekend and its for sure the best orange based dessert I’ve ever made. Wow! Such a refreshing combination of flaky, tart, and rich. Who knew oranges could be baked up so well. I’m thinking combining some meyer lemons wouldn’t be a bad addition. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Its a keeper!
Made this last night – it was delicious! One thing I did was add about a teaspoon of the left over blood orange juice to the caramel after it was all mixed. It really gave it a wonderful flavor!! Thanks for the recipe.
I had a dish like this in a restaurant last week, and they didn’t remove the peels from the oranges.
It was heartbreaking, as it would have otherwise been delicious.
Naturally, yours looks way way way tastier.
(congrats on the well deserved bloggie noms!)
I’m confused about the baking instructions. A pan goes under the rack on which the tart will be cooked….but where is the parchment paper coming from?
I assume you use another pan, lined with parchment paper, and bake the tart on that….but then why do you need the drip pan?
Hi Chris — Yes, they’re not worded as well as they could be. It says in Step 2 to “Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper–lined flat cookie sheet” — you’re baking the tart on that parchment lined cookie sheet.
In the oven, he suggests an additional baking sheet below to catch drips — I supposed because the cookie sheet is supposed to be flat. I skipped it but it can’t hurt to put one in just in case. If your tart is especially runny, you wouldn’t want to end up scrubbing out your oven!
Bah! I totally missed the reference in step 2. Here in Switzerland, Blood Oranges are in all of the stores and markets, so I’ll definitely be making this over the weekend. Thanks a lot!
i made it! so great, especially the crust, which I made with special salt my sweetheart brought from Bayonne, France a few days ago. mmmm. thank you!
How could someone have such great attention to food detail and not notice the hands of the preparer?
I’m a big fan of your blog and the ‘au natural’ look of your photographs, but I have to agree with MJ – the chipping red nail polish is a major faux pas. I love getting my nails done as much as the next girl but it’s a chef school guideline to keep your nails bare while in the kitchen. Not only are most nail polishes toxic for the wearer, but no one wants bits of Toluene, Formaldehyde or Phthales in their food!
People, the chipped nail polish is just the beginning. I also probably had dirt under my fingernails, because who showers? Such a waste of time. I also did not have my hair back in a regulation hair net. Astoundingly, my friends still let me cook for them! Also, when I drop an ingredient, I just pick it up and chuck it back in because, hey, nobody’s in the kitchen but me! Oh wait, that was Julia Child. But maybe she was onto something!
I personally soak my hands in bleach before I begin cooking. Then I coat them in paraffin wax and then slip on some rubber gloves :)
Seriously, Deb. You don’t scrub head to toe, inspect every inch of your body for errant nails and hairs, go through a quick chemical detoxification process and then slather on some sanitizer (just to be safe) before you cook food for your family? What a shame. Tsk tsk.
How dare you force the people of the internet to eat food you made while your polish was chipped! Oh, wait…
Love blood oranges and just saw them in the store the other day. Great way to use them, too. I can only imagine the flavor of that tart! And I’m totally with you on the slovenly state of being in la cocina. Life is way too short for perfect nails or people who split hairs, for that matter. We are known for the 6 second rule on dropping food on the floor, though. Any longer and the dog would get it. ;)
Angela, I can’t believe you would subject people to food you’ve cooked like that.
I had my hands removed years ago, and had Star Wars like prostheses put on years ago, I can just remove them to boil them for a few hours to sanitize them before I cook.
I hardly ever get manicures because my nails get chipped probably the instant I leave the salon if not beforehand — I would LOVE to meet the person to whom that never happens because she has nothing to do that would ruin it (oh, wait)! Anyway, I’m kind of a fan of the messy-perfect; i.e., that nothing is ever perfect, and how marvelous that is. It’s real, and that is goodness.
ps: the tart looks amazing
Ha! Me neither. But in the beginning of the year, I was briefly trying something different: lady-like hands! I think we can all see how that worked out.
Jeezus, people. I’m not here for the manicure, I’m here for the flaky blood orange tart. Who cares? Let’s eat! It looks delicious!
Could you please tell me why you freeze the entire tart before baking? What purpose does it serve?
Thanks.
It both rests the tart and helps it stay together while baking.
Thanks so much….
Hmm I don’t get why people are not disgusted by the chipped nail polish. All I was thinking is how much got into your dish. I like your blog but seriously would never want to eat your food – you admit to filthy hands and picking up food off your floor without saying anything about washing it. Disgusting.
Alexis, my comment was a joke.
I really cannot understand why this is such a personal issue for so many people. I personally think the photos are awesome and the recipes fantastic! If anyone finds any part truly offensive then…really…go to a different web page. Great job on this one deb…am a big fan. everyone else? settle down and take it easy!
I found your blog the other day and just HAD TO TRY this tart! Mine is in the freezer waiting to be baked. I can’t wait to eat it!
Fantastic photos!
Mine’s in the freezer right now. Morning can’t come soon enough :-)
Well, it looked amazing but the taste just wasn’t there. The caramel sauce and crust tasted amazing but the oranges tasted just like you’d imagine… like baked oranges.
Jeez, Debs, between your full-time freelance gig and this blog, you’d think you’d have more than enough time to keep your nails perfect for your non-paying readers.
To all the people who complained, rest assured you’ll never be invited over for dinner. Also, rest assured you ingest far worse things than tiny nail polish chips every time you eat out (human sweat, for one). Yum.
Wow! This looks unbelievable!
Someone couldn’t find blood oranges – Trader Joe had them last week and probably still does – at a very good price. Good luck!
I think blood oranges are gorgeous. I definitely want to try this!
Delighted by the prospect of fruit-based baked goods in winter, I made this bejeweled tart last weekend.
At first, I was a bit frustrated at the amount of time that it took, mainly because I didn’t read the recipe clearly beforehand and I have a slightly obsessive disdain for pith. Bottom line: delicious, especially after chilling for a day (although less beautiful, the flavors had settled a bit).
The caramel sauce is a must: there was a “wideness” to it that made it particularly dangerous to store in the fridge–I ended up having to make chocolate cupcakes to fill with the sauce, preventing me from eating a spoonful every time I pass the fridge. Topped with buttercream frosting and a caramel corn garnish, they yielded rave reviews for days.
Gorgeous winter brunch fare.
I made this over the weekend and really enjoyed it! I am going to make it again this week for friends… I love that I can construct the tart the night before and freeze it. I also think I de-pithed the blood oranges the wrong way (it took forever!), so I am looking forward to following your picture-instructions more carefully.
Deb – how do you think it would work with Ruby Red grapefruits? I was thinking that I would at least need to add a bit more sugar… I love grapefruits and have been eating so many of them recently.
Grrrrr mine does not look like that! and it smells nasty!
not for a beginner with no knife skills and no patience like me
I made this for brunch yesterday and it was a hit! However, I did use a mix of navel oranges, tangerines and blood oranges instead of using all blood oranges (blood oranges were ridiculously expensive at my local grocery), the resulting mixed citrus tart was very lovely.
Also, I’m addicted to the fabulous caramel sauce!
I made this with what I had on hand- phyllo pastry, normal oranges – and didn’t do the sauce, and I was quite disappointed. The oranges were wet and bitter. Maybe it’d be better with the crust you recommended, but I think that baking the oranges didn’t do much for their flavour at all.
One might want to tast-test their blood oranges before going through the preparation trouble. Some (early crop?) ones I bought from Fresh Market in mid January were disappointing. Cheaper, later blood oranges from Kroger were intensely flavored and wonderful!
Hey, you know what’s great? putting the tart directly on the rack in the oven because you didn’t read ahead or think about baking shit correctly.
Saddest day.
Deb – this tart is so great! I made it this weekend and the crust was to die for! I was worried about it being too juicy and it definitely made a mess on my cookie sheet, but the crust turned out so flaky. And it is so beautiful. Definitely a show stopper! Thanks for the inspiration!
http://notesfromacookbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/blood-orange-galette/
Made last night for guests, along with the caramel sauce. My sectioned oranges were a mess despite several recent practice sessions but fortunately that part is where you can’t see it; otherwise it looked “almost” as nice as yours.
Even though we are in full blood orange season here, mine were a little more tart than I expected. It was good to have the sauce on hand for anyone who likes their desserts sweet. (Not that anyone skipped the sauce! But I don’t think I’d make the tart without it. Just as a precaution, you see?)
P.S. My fingernails got filthy making this as well and I am the personal recipient of multiple 100% perfect pass scores on the food handling exam in this state, as is my husband. We all survived the meal. ;)
Glad I’m not the only one who has had this recipe on stand-by waiting for perfect timing… I made this over the weekend. It was fabulous! And gorgeous. Deb, you are(as usual) a genius.
So I just picked up my organic co-op share and there are two dozen perfect bananas?? Have you ever made a version of this with sliced bananas? Sorry for the b-word. I know you have banana trauma from the past, but I am thinking your pastry and carmel sauce may cure all.
Ok lesson taken, don’t bake sliced banana, they get sort of starchy chewy. BUT it was lovely caramel pastry if you just pushed the bananas out of the way. Next time I’ll slice them fresh on top at serving. It is still one of the best pastry recipes ever.
so help me god, i don’t want to be the one to keep bringing up the nails, but i gotta say, as someone who’s been to culinary school (where yes, it was a RULE to have polish-free nails), chipped nail polish is pretty much the least of your worries, when it comes to “food safety”. i was actually rather pleased to see a lil red chipped nail holdin’ up that blood orange–great color coordination! in other news, i am SO excited to make this for a dinner party this saturday. these free form tarts are the best/most relaxing way to fill any fruit pie craving you have, and they always look amazing! i have never ever thought of using citrus in a gallete, and i am looking forward to it. i did see your note about the reason for freezing the formed tart, but my schedule is not going to allow for it. here’s hoping i don’t have a big, soggy mess on my hands! : )
Oooh just took this out of the oven, didn’t do such a great job transferring it, so it turned into more of an orange cobbler, but I didn’t hear any complaints. I added nutmeg and cinnamon, just cause I love those two guys. DELICIOUS!
I just used this crust recipe for a chicken pot pie top crust. Skipped the “freeze overnight” step, and it turned out just great!
I served this tart last night at my dinner party–it was fantastic! I love serving seasonal desserts, so this was perfect for a January party. And the caramel sauce? OMG. SO good. Thanks for posting.
I love this tart. I worked for Zoe as her pastry sous chef and we made a lot of these. They’re addictive. PS – also works in minature…
I made this tonight for an early Valentine dinner. My husband’s response after finishing his second piece ‘That was insane’….I couldn’t agree more. It was perfection – both in taste & ease of prep.
This started well. I don’t know if I still the oranges correctly…….still unsure of that. However, I froze it and then baked it a couple of days later. DISASTER. I cooked it directly on the baking rack, and it all melted through, obviously. I then cooked what was left more as a cobbler and the crust was good but my boyfriend and I felt that it was way too tart, we didn’t used the caramel sauce. I want to try again, now that I know you need to cook it on a cookie sheet. You should make a distinct clarification in the directions. It was beautiful though.
Made this last night, YUM!! And put some leftover caramel sauce in my coffee this morning. SO decadent!
I am amazed at both people who fail to read directions carefully and people who don’t know a joke when they see it. That said, I plunged into making this without having absorbed the “freeze the tart for 4 hours” part of the deal. Jesus. I had my daughter’s 4 teenage friends to impress! I couldn’t do that! Deb, I just went ahead and cooked that un-frozen tart on a silpat-lined rimmed sheet for about 30 minutes…and it was just fine! My hard-to-impress husband lost his mind over it, especially with the caramel. So what is the deal with the freezing direction?
You do know I worship you?
I made this yesterday with ruby red grapefruits and strawberries. Only put it in the freezer for 3 hours or so. I also misread the dough recipe and put in too much butter and not enough sugar. When I took it out of the oven, there was burned juice all over the cookie sheet. For some reason, even though it came out looking pretty good, I immediately had this horrible but very specific feeling that this tart was NOT going to be worth all the work I put into it. I left for the evening feeling like I had wasted my time.
I got home really late that night and STARVING. I figured, why not try a piece?
OMG. SO DELICIOUS. The dough is like the most perfect flaky pie dough. The bottom crust was moist but not soggy at all. The tarte was not very sweet on its own–WHICH I PREFER–and then with the caramel sauce it was PERFECT. I never would have thought to serve this with caramel but it was so great.
Next time I am going to make like 10 of these things and freeze all of them so I can whip one out whenver I feel like it. THANKS!
I also cooked this with chipped nail polish and lived to tell the tale.
This is such a great recipe, I’m so glad you shared it! I made it soon after you originally posted a couple years ago and have since made it several times with grapefruit with excellent results and used the basic construction and pastry for several other fruits, and it is always with delicious! What a treasure!
I was delighted with the way it turned out. We had a bit of sour cream that I added with the half and half to the caramel along with the bit of leftover blood orange juice that another commenter suggested. This was a very pretty way to celebrate winter and make the obligatory meal of greens and black-eyed peas more festive. Cheers, and thanks again for sharing!
okay, i just commented, but seriously, adding the blood orange juice to the caramel sauce is seriously taxing my new year’s resolutions. d*mn!, that’s good stuff!
Do you know of another way to peel citrus fruits aside than with your fingernails? I tried peeling these with my thumb, but maybe I pulled too hard and did something to it… :P
Hi Nick — I am not sure I follow. You can also cut citrus skin off with a knife.
I made this over the weekend in order to use up our crop of Blood Oranges before they went bad. It turned out fantastic!, even without the caramel sauce.
We did have a bit of an issue with the orange segments: one of the household helpers saw them sitting in a strainer and decided we needed the juice from them. So, I had to re-section 5 blood oranges. Luckily, we still had some left.
This one will be used next year with the next crop of oranges.
I made this as written and it was divine! I would like to make it again but I think I’ve missed my blood orange window. Do you think this would work with Meyer lemons?
My mother and I made this today to ring in the new year and because she had made a tart for Christ,as and had left over pastry dough–my favorite problem. We followed the recipe exactly, except we’re a little rushed so we took it out of the freezer after about 3 hours. It turned out beautiful and delicious, and we all loved the caramel sauce, too! Thank you! I’m flying back to Colorado tomorrow with the smitten kitchen cookbook in my suitcase, while my parents get to finish it all off..the lucky ducks.
I have one of those recipes, one that insists on getting lost. All the time. My friend Mary makes the most amazing scones, a recipe she tweaked herself from a classic cream scone recipe combined with a biscuit recipe from Cook’s combined with the propensity of her boys to dub anything not bigger than a basketball as “mini” (as in mini-muffins, mini-scones…) Anyway, the recipe keeps getting lost, no matter how many times I print it out or write it down. Once I emailed her from (then) Soviet Georgia to get the recipe — quite a challenge finding baking powder there — and so now the recipe lives in my passport. Anyway… back to the blood oranges: I just finished making this and it’s sitting on the counter while we all wait in great anticipation for it to cool a little so we can enjoy it. It’s already been deemed a “mini” so I think we’ll be making another … or two… i think this is going to be one that needs to live in my passport, too.
One tip for those about to make this: After you’ve rolled out the dough, before you begin assembling the tart, place the dough on the parchment or silpat that you will cook it with. Once you’ve assembled the tart, the dough has softened — both from the heat and from the combined liquid of the oranges and egg yolk — and it is very difficult to move. For the same reason, you will want to freeze it on something non-stick (like the parchment or silpat). I tried initially with the tart on a plate until it became clear that I would have to defrost it to get the frozen tart off.
(Looking back over the directions, Deb says to chill the rolled-out dough for 15 minutes ON PARCHMENT PAPER, so I’m the dummy who missed that!)
So sad. I followed this recipe exactly – it looked so pretty. I froze it overnight and took it out this morning to bake. Judging by the directions I assumed I was supposed to bake it directly on the oven rack and have a baking sheet below to catch drips. Well after the time was done the tart had broken and fell through the rack and crumbled in to a pile on the baking sheet below in to a big mess. Waste of time and materials.
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for months now, and now that it’s the right season, looking forward to it. However, I’m imagining ricotta would be a great addition to the tart. The only problem is, ricotta separates when thawed after being frozen. Do you think adding a little ricotta under the orange slices, and sealing them up with the dough would make that unnoticeable?
Thank you!
Soo Hyun
Ricotta would separate in the oven too. You could probably drain it a bit, for a while, before spreading it beneath the oranges. But, I think you should try it without it first. There’s a lot of flavor here and you may not find that it is needed, or even adds much. (Citrus and dairy really curdle each other, ricotta is already curdled but… it may not be the nicest combination.)
Okay, I’ll try it without. Thank you for responding.
Hello Deb,
thank you for this amazing recipie. It is a super idea for winter time.
And I love blood oranges a lot :)
Thanks!
Blood oranges are my favorite…I can’t believe I only just found this recipe today! Your site is one of my top cooking blogs. Also, I’m still searching for a tomato soup recipe that I made two years ago and haven’t been able to find since…
gonna try this with 4 blood oranges and 4 mangoes — i couldn’t pass up either at the grocery store today, and the combo sounds like it could work nicely.
also, i just read through all the psycho nail polish comments and your hilarious responses…just another reason i keep coming back for more ;)
well, it was tasty with the mango, but i don’t feel like my tart was particularly successful. the dough was very thin by the time i got it rolled to 10″ so i never made it to 11″. as it baked, it got very very juicy (which the mangoes may have contributed, so I won’t say that’s the recipe necessarily) and my blood oranges seemed to be particularly pesky — they kept opening up when i tried to supreme/peel them so I never got full slices. needless to say, my tart was not as pretty as Deb’s. but it was reasonably cute and quite delicious, so I guess the rest doesn’t matter. :)
Hey Deb – 2 things – 1. the ingredient list shows 2 T of sugar for sprinkling over the tart, yet you add 4, count ’em, 4 during the assembly process. Which is correct?
4 is overkill – the oranges were plenty sweet.
Also, I ended up using 9 blood oranges, cuz they were on the small side. I sliced 3 for the top and supreme-ed the remaining 6. It almost did me in, removing the membranes from 6 entire oranges. Next time, I will leave them sliced, since you can’t see them anyway, and baking the tart for 75 minutes rendered the slices on the top lovingly tender. Otherwise, a killer recipe, esp with the caramel sauce.
this looks amazing : if freezer space isn’t possible, could it simply be refrigerated overnight and still work?
Hello Deb, very tasty. I made this as well as your fennel ice cream for dinner guests. Zowie, they paired so beautifully! and our friends were intrigued by the blend of flavors before I mentioned the fennel. I agree with the comment that the slicing of fruit out of their membranes was a lot of work and will also try shortcutting with cross-slices next time. I also think it’s worth noting this isn’t a dessert to feed a crowd. We were 6 and gobbled it up. Lastly, some juice pooled out of the pastry while freezing, probably due to my amateur pastry making, so that once baked, half the pastry was surrounded by burnt juice. But once removed, the pastry was still beautiful to look at and still delicious. Thank you!
This is an annual winter recipe for me! I am wondering if there’s a way to avoid juices spilling out and burning on the sheet pan during baking? It happens every time and always leaves a slightly bitter taste on an otherwise flawless tart.
I was just thinking about that! Blood oranges are so delicious, so I’d love to make it, but was wondering if the juices run all over and make a soggy tart.
Thank you for posting such a delicious looking recipe.
Would you please add weights.
Also, what is the reason to freeze and bake the tart on a rimless baking sheet with a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch drips during baking? Why not freeze and bake the tart on a rimmed baking sheet?
I made this tart with cara cara oranges and it was delicious. I did back off on the sugar a bit, and found it perfect for me that way. I also wonder what the reason is for freezing it?
Very disappointing. I usually love your recipes but the work involved compared with the end result was flat. Any fruit other than blood orange would have been better.
Saw this from your newsletter this morning and just HAD to stop and get blood oranges on the way home! I completely skipped the freezing part because I was too impatient to get to the eating part. That may have been a mistake; the tart fell apart a little, allowing the juices to escape and burn on the parchment, and it ended up a bit soggy. Still pretty good! Might be even better with some ricotta+egg+honey whipped together under the oranges.