Dreaming of: Swirling Curds and Coulis – The Lemon/Blood Orange Curd Almond Crusted Tart

imagine this:  courtesy thetarttart.com

with: this —-  that’s what I woke up thinking of this morning………..

We all have dreams – good and bad.  When I was younger I used to dream about falling out of a high tree.  I don’t know what this means – perhaps someday I’ll consult a dream-analyst.  I hope it’s nothing terrible in my subconscious!

I often dream and then wake up with baking on my mind.  Today, my earliest mental activity was pretty vivid.  I’m not kidding about this one – at about 5:30 I awoke thinking about making a tart where you’d swirl together two citrus curds – Lemon and Orange.  I have absolutely no idea where this came from and why, but I do think it’s an interesting idea.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one anywhere – perhaps it comes from memory, but I don’t think so.  Ahhhh, the luscious unctuousness and soulful tang of a great fruit curd………. or two — swirled together ——–  Perhaps I have Easter dessert on my mind……..

This got me to thinking about the potential array of options for this idea:

Lemon curd with an orange swirl (and as options, Lime, Grapefruit, Blood Orange, Tangerine, etc.)

Lemon curd with a swirl of Raspberry Coulis (and as options, blueberry, Strawberry, etc.)

AND WHEN SPRING DECIDES TO WAKE UP AND SHOW UP – SEE MY PLAN FOR BELOW!!!!!!!!!

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My favorite almond crust for tarts:

for the crust – recipe adapted from La Dolce Vita, page 50, Peach and Mascarpone Tart(sigh)

150g (5 1/2 oz) plain white or ‘OO’ Italian flour, plus extra for dusting

55g (2 oz) icing sugar

3 tblsp ground almonds

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

115g (4 oz) unsalted butter,chilled and cut into cubes

1 egg beaten

To make pastry:  In the bowl of your food processor, pulse together the flour, icing sugar, almonds, baking powder, and salt together.  Add the cubed butter and pulse until it resembles a fine meal.  Add the egg and pulse just until the dough begins to form.  Remove to a work surface and bring together with your hands.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface and fit into a buttered tart pan, 9 1/2″ in diameter.  Chill for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes.  Cool.

Depending upon the desired height of your tart, 1″ or 2″, you may have to multiply this recipe up by 1.5 or 2x.

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Make a lemon curd – I really like this one from Ina Garten – with lots of zest!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-curd-recipe.html

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My choice for Blood Orange Curd:  http://www.thetarttart.com/2013/01/blood-orange-curd/

To make the tart:

1. Make the crust as above, press into a 10″ x 1″ tart pan and bake as directed above

2. Make the lemon curd.  Pour into the tart crust.

3. Make the Blood Orange Curd and place in a pastry bag.

4. Pipe the Blood Orange Curd in a swirl design of your choice on top of the lemon curd.  With a butter knife, swirl the blood orange curd into the lemon curd.

5. If desired, pipe some whipped cream around the edge of the tart.

Enjoy!  🙂

Use this same method with a Raspberry or other Coulis!

SOME DESIGN IDEAS FOR THE TART:

 courtesy pickycook.com

 courtesy thefabweb.com

 courtesy foodforflicks.com

MY PICK FOR SPRINGTIME – WHENEVER IT SHALL COME????  LEMON TART WITH RHUBARB COULIS!!!!!!!  or CURD <3 <3<3  – and, subbing hazelnuts in the crust for the almonds and then topping the tart with a ring of those lovely little spun-sugar topped hazelnuts we made in Pastry School – (who remembers?)

MY OWN PHOTOS TO COME – SOON 

 from last year’s post – On the Rue de Rhubarb

http://www.handpickednation.com/recipes/recipe-rhubarb-curd/

RHUBARB COULIS – courtesy BBCfood.com