Blood Orange Tarts (Printable Version)

Crisp tart shells with vanilla custard and vibrant blood orange segments—an elegant French dessert.

# Components:

→ Tart Shells

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1 large egg yolk
05 - 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Vanilla Custard

07 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk
08 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 3 large egg yolks
10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Blood Orange Topping

13 - 3 to 4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
14 - 1 tablespoon honey, optional for glazing
15 - 1 teaspoon water, optional for glazing

# Method Steps:

01 - In a food processor, pulse together flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and pulse, adding ice water one tablespoon at a time until dough just comes together.
02 - Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
03 - Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut to fit six 4-inch tart pans. Press dough into pans and trim excess. Chill for 20 minutes.
04 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line tart shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 5 minutes more until golden. Cool completely.
05 - In a medium saucepan, heat milk until steaming. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and butter.
06 - Transfer custard to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hour.
07 - Spoon chilled custard into cooled tart shells. Top with overlapping slices of blood orange.
08 - Warm honey and water in a small pan and brush over orange slices for a glossy finish.
09 - Chill tarts until ready to serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Make it the day before and assemble just before guests arrive, so you're actually relaxed when people show up.
  • The tart shells are crispy and buttery in a way that somehow stays that way even after the custard goes in.
  • Blood oranges are show-stoppers—everyone always asks what they are because they look almost too pretty to eat.
02 -
  • Don't skip blind baking the shells—I learned this the hard way when my first batch came out soggy and sad, now I always use pie weights.
  • Temper your egg yolks slowly when adding hot milk, rushing it means scrambled eggs in your custard, not the silky sauce you're after.
03 -
  • Keep your butter and water ice cold when making the dough—warm butter means tough, greasy shells instead of crispy, flaky ones.
  • Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the custard if you want to deepen the citrus flavor, it makes the whole dessert feel more intentional.
Return