Tangerine—a variety of mandarin orange—offers a sweeter flavor than a common orange does. The delectable curd filling of these individual tartlets is made with fresh zest and juice and would also be delicious as a spread for scones.
Tangerine Tartlets
Serves: Makes 12
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fresh tangerine zest
- ¼ cup fresh tangerine juice
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrust dough (2 sheets)
- 1 recipe Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: tangerine zest strips
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, tangerine zest and juice, and salt until combined. Very gradually add melted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to egg mixture, whisking constantly after each addition so egg mixture doesn’t curdle. Return mixture to saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, approximately 15 minutes. If mixture begins to scorch, lower heat. (Thickened mixture should coat back of the spoon and hold a line when finger is drawn through mixture, reaching a temperature of 175° with an instant-read thermometer.)
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate until needed, up to a day.
- Preheat oven to 450°. Spray 12 (2½-inch) fluted tartlet pans with cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll both sheets of piecrust dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 1/16-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut 12 circles from dough, discarding scraps. Transfer each round to a prepared tartlet pan, pressing into bottom and up sides. Using the wide end of a chop-stick, gently press dough into indentations in sides of pans. Trim excess dough. Using a fork, prick bottom of dough in each tartlet pan with a fork. Place prepared tartlet pans on a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Bake until pie dough is light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Divide tangerine filling among prepared tartlet shells. Place tartlets in a single layer in a covered container, and refrigerate until cold, 2 to 4 hours.
- Place Sweetened Whipped Cream in a piping bag fitted with an open-star tip (Wilton #21). Pipe a petite rosette of Sweetened Whipped Cream in center of each tartlet.
- Garnish with tangerine zest strips, if desired.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
Serves: Makes about ¼ cup
Simple to make at home, Sweetened Whipped Cream is a staple topping or garnish for a number of sweet treats, such as tartlet and cakes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer at high speed until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Store in a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
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