Blood Orange Tart Recipe

Make dough

In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, almond flour (if using), and salt to combine. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water; pulse just until dough comes together. If too dry, add up to 1 more teaspoon cold water.

Chill & roll

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Blind-bake shell

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness and line a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, trimming excess. Prick bottom lightly with a fork. Line pastry with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 8–10 minutes until golden and set. Cool slightly. Reduce oven to 325°F (163°C) if you will warm tart later for final assembly.

Prepare juice & zest

Strain freshly squeezed blood orange juice to remove pulp and seeds. Zest 2 blood oranges before juicing and reserve zest.

Cook curd

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together sugar, eggs, blood orange juice, and zest. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom, until mixture thickens and reaches about 170–175°F (it coats the back of the spatula) — about 8–10 minutes. Do not boil.

Finish curd

Remove from heat and whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated and glossy. Stir in salt. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove zest and any cooked egg bits. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill until set but still spreadable, about 1–2 hours.

Make caramel

In a small heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Heat over medium, swirling the pan gently (do not stir) until sugar dissolves and the syrup becomes an amber caramel, about 6–8 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning.

Finish caramel

Remove from heat and carefully whisk in warm heavy cream (mixture will bubble vigorously), then stir in butter and sea salt until smooth. Let cool until warm but pourable — about 10–15 minutes. If caramel firms too much, warm gently to loosen.

Make crumble

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, cut cold cubed butter into flour, sugar, and salt using a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture forms coarse clumps. Stir in chopped white chocolate. Spread mixture on a parchment-lined sheet pan in an even layer and bake for 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway, until edges are pale golden and crumble is dry. Let cool completely; break into small pieces.

Prepare puree

Preheat oven to lowest setting (150–170°F / 65–75°C) or use a dehydrator. Purée strained blood orange juice (from about 2–3 oranges) in a blender until smooth. Optionally add 2 tablespoons sugar if you want a sweeter, less tart leather. Strain to remove any remaining bits.

Dehydrate

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Pour puree to an even thickness (~1/16–1/8 inch). Bake in oven for 4–8 hours until the surface is tacky but not sticky and the leather peels away cleanly. Check beginning at 4 hours; drying time varies by oven and thickness. Let cool, then cut into strips or shapes.

Layer tart

Place the baked tart shell on a work surface. Spoon warm (but not hot) caramel into the bottom of the shell and spread an even thin layer (about 1/4 inch). Chill for 10 minutes to set slightly.

Add curd

When caramel is tacky but set, pour chilled but spreadable blood orange curd over caramel, smoothing with an offset spatula to the edges. Refrigerate tart until curd is mostly set, about 30–45 minutes.

Top with crumble & leather

Scatter white chocolate crumble evenly over the curd. Arrange strips or shapes of blood orange fruit leather on top as garnish. Dust very lightly with powdered sugar if desired. Keep tart chilled until serving; remove from refrigerator 15–20 minutes before serving to allow flavors to open.

Storage

Store tart covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Fruit leather is best stored separately at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.