By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette (TNS)
January will be one thing of a slog for house cooks.
The joy and extravagance of vacation cooking is in our collective rearview mirror, and with contemporary inexperienced greens at a minimal, we’re again to the hearty casseroles, warming stews and meaty one-pot dishes that outline winter cooking.
But there’s at the very least one shiny spot you possibly can rely on within the new yr: the massive luggage of candy and juicy oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit from California and Florida which might be really easy to search out on retailer cabinets. Winter is when the colourful citrus season is in full swing, bringing a much-needed dose of sunshine to the desk together with a healthful shot of vitamin C and different antioxidants.
This simple dessert recipe combines the intense, tangy chunk of lemon with the sweeter, mellower taste of orange in a basic, buttery tart.
The unique recipe requires making one giant tart to be lower into slices, however after cooking and serving so many meals over the vacations, I made a decision to portion the crust and filling into 12 mini-tartlet pans to make it a straightforward grab-and-go dessert. I topped the tartlets with a dusting of powdered sugar, however you would dollop on a teaspoon of whipped cream.
The tarts are finest at room temperature or when barely chilled (which permits the filling to set). You undoubtedly wish to blind bake the pastry (with out filling) to keep away from the dreaded soggy backside.
As soon as assembled, the citrus tartlets needs to be stored within the fridge. They’ll keep crispy for 2 days.
Citrus Tartlets
Makes one 9-inch tart or 12 individual-sized tartlets
INGREDIENTS
For pastry crust:
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons salted butter, lower into slices and chilled
2 tablespoons bitter cream
For filling:
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 giant eggs, plus 2 yolks
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Juice of two lemons
3 tablespoons orange juice
DIRECTIONS
For the crust: In a small bowl, whisk collectively the water and cornstarch. Microwave till set, 30 to 40 seconds, stirring midway by means of. Chill within the freezer for 10 minutes.
In a meals processor, mix the flour, sugar and salt, then course of till blended, about 5 seconds. Add the chilled cornstarch combination and pulse till floor. Add the butter and bitter cream, then course of till dough comes collectively and begins to gather on the blade.Pat the dough right into a 4-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the very least an hour (and as much as 48 hours).
When able to bake, preheat oven to 375 levels with rack in center place.
On a well-floured counter, roll the dough right into a 12-inch circle. Dangle the dough over the rolling pin and switch to a 9-inch tart pan. (Or a dozen tartlet pans.) Gently ease the dough into the pan. Trim the perimeters, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Tuck overhang underneath itself so the dough is flush with the rim of the pan. Crimp the dough along with your fingers or tine of a fork, then chill in freezer for quarter-hour,
Blind bake the crust: Line the chilled crust with heavy-duty foil and fill with sufficient pie weights to return three-quarters up. Bake till the perimeters are mild golden brown, about 25 to half-hour, rotating pan midway by means of.
Take away the foil and weights and bake till the underside of the crust simply begins to paint, one other 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 1 hour earlier than filling. (As soon as baked, crust will be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for as much as 2 days.)
For filling: In a bowl, mix sugar, each zests and salt. Rub collectively along with your fingers till aromatic and combination begins to clump.
Add the eggs and yolks and whisk till pale and barely thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk within the cream and juices; skim the froth off the highest.
Pour the filling into the nice and cozy tart shell and bake on baking sheet on the center rack till set, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack till room temperature, at the very least 1 hour.
Take away the outer metallic ring and serve, or chill fully earlier than serving.
— Tailored from “Milk Street: The New Home Cooking” by Christopher Kimball©2025 PG Publishing Co. Go to at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company, LLC.
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Initially Revealed: January 27, 2025 at 6:30 AM PST
