The recipe comes from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook; a crostata, rustic tart or pie, with bitter orange chocolate marmalade, almond pastry cream (frangipane) and seasonal citrus fruits.

 

step-by-step instructions

 

Start by prepping the almonds.  I use Marcona almonds that have been grown on the Mediterranean coast of Spain; I love their sweeter and more delicate taste.  Simply toast, finely chop and set aside – you will use them to make the almond pastry cream.

Next, prepare your very-easy-to-make tart dough and refrigerate until cold.

While the dough is chilling, make the frangipane, the almond pastry cream, and reserve at room temperature until ready to use.

The original recipe calls for using high-quality citrus marmalade, like orange or lemon.  To kick it up a notch, I use a bitter orange and dark chocolate marmalade – absolutely in love with La Tejea’s artisanal products that are full of flavor, 100% natural and additive free.  If you are in or around Los Angeles, you can order it online or find it here;  from a company specializing in fine Spanish foods.  If you are in or around Orange County, California, you can find it here.

Cannot get your hands on a jar of  this scrumptious marmalade, do not panic!  Get some good quality Seville orange marmalade, or blood orange marmalade, or any citrus fruit preserves,  a few dollops of dark chocolate marmalade or spread, like Nutella, and mix the two together.

Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator, roll it, and shape it into a rectangle.  Spread marmalade evenly over dough, then spread almond pastry cream over the marmalade.  Fold the edges over to create a crust and refrigerate.

While the tart is chilling, prepare the citrus fruit.

Arrange the citrus rounds over the almond cream.

Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar all over.  Dot the citrus rounds with butter.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the almond cream and the crust are a deep golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven, let it cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

 

CITRUS FRUIT MARMALADE TART

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Makes one 10 by 14-inch tart

For the Almonds
3/4 cup unblanched almonds

For the Tart Dough
1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice

For the Almond Cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Grated zest of 1 small orange
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For Assembling the Tart
1 cup high-quality citrus marmalade (orange or lemon)
2 citrus fruits
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350F.

Scatter the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven until they’re golden through the center, about 10 minutes. (To check if they’re done, cut one open and inspect the color inside.) Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. Then finely chop the almonds and set them aside. (Leave the oven on.)

To make the tart dough, combine the butter cubes with the flour, sugar, orange zest and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, and chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Using the paddle attachment, mix the chilled mixture until it’s very crumbly. Then add the orange juice and continue to mix until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it is smooth, about 2 minutes. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or as long as a week.

While the dough is chilling, make the almond cream: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, orange zest, and salt until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg a little bit at a time, mixing until incorporated. Then add the flour and mix well. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped almonds – the cream itself should be smooth, but the almonds will make it look like chunky peanut butter. Reserve the almond cream at room temperature until ready to use.

Increase the oven temperature to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly coat it with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator and roll it out over a generously floured countertop until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a 12 by 16-inch rectangle with a paring knife. Gather the excess dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator for another use. Carefully transfer the dough rectangle to the prepared cookie sheet. Spread the marmalade evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around the tart. Spread the almond cream over the marmalade. Fold the edges of the dough over to create a crust – this will keep the marmalade from seeping out. Place the tart in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

White the tart is chilling, prepare the citrus: Cut off both ends of the fruit with a sharp knife. Place the citrus on a cutting board, one cut end down, and following the curve of the fruit, shave off the rind from top to bottom with the knife, revealing the flesh of the citrus and leaving absolutely no pith. Place the citrus on its side and cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, carefully removing seeds as you come across them.

Remove the tart from the refrigerator and arrange the citrus rounds over the almond cream, placing them close together but without letting them overlap. Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the sugar over the entire tart, going a bit heavier on the dough edges. Dot the citrus rounds with the butter (to prevent them from burning). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the almond cream and the crust are a deep golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Make sure to save a slice to eat with your coffee the next morning.

recipe from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant; by Michelle Rizzolo, Philip Wojtowicz, and Michael Gilson with Catherine Price (William Morrow, June 23, 2009)