The GRANDMA’S ORANGE TART is an elegant, wholesome dessert, perfect for those who love simple but characterful flavors.
A crisp, golden shortcrust pastry encloses a creamy orange custard at its heart, velvety and fragrant, enriched by the fresh, aromatic flavor of the citrus zest and juice. On the surface, the crunch of toasted pine nuts and a light dusting of powdered sugar complete this timeless homemade masterpiece.
Its delicate sweetness and intense orange aroma recall old-time desserts prepared with love in family kitchens. Ideal as a dessert after Sunday lunch, for a special snack, or as a homemade gift, Grandma’s orange tart charms with its perfect balance between crunch and creaminess.
A dessert that smells like home, tradition and Mediterranean sunshine — able to bring back the authentic taste of sweets made with the heart.
According to tradition, the tart is served sprinkled with pine nuts and powdered sugar, almost like a caress to make this timeless delight even better.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 511.87 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 76.30 (g) of which sugars 47.29 (g)
- Proteins 8.70 (g)
- Fat 21.17 (g) of which saturated 12.04 (g)of which unsaturated 8.71 (g)
- Fibers 0.97 (g)
- Sodium 15.86 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (type 00)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 9 tbsp butter (cold)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 orange (zest of half, untreated)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 egg yolks (medium)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp cornstarch (maize starch)
- 1 orange (juice and zest)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- as needed milk
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Pan 8-inch tart pan
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Pastry brush
Steps
Arrange the flour in a mound on the work surface, add the sugar, the cold butter cut into pieces, a pinch of salt, the grated orange zest and begin to combine everything until you obtain a sandy mixture. Add the whole egg and the yolk and quickly incorporate them until you get a smooth, compact dough.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. To reduce cooling time, chill the dough already rolled out.
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with the orange zest (without the white pith); this will be used to make the custard.
In another nonstick saucepan, beat the yolks with the sugar, mix well and then add the cornstarch or flour little by little.
Once everything is combined, place the pan over the heat and pour in the milk with the orange zest. Stir with a wooden spoon always in the same direction to avoid lumps.
When the custard begins to boil, add the orange juice and continue to stir until the desired thickness is reached. Finally, add a packet of vanillin.
Once the cooking is complete, remove the orange zest.
Let the custard cool to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface, and meanwhile prepare the shortcrust pastry shell.
Line the base of a preferably removable-base pan about 8 inches in diameter with parchment paper.
Divide the shortcrust pastry into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger piece with a rolling pin and a little flour to a thickness of about 4 mm (about 1/8 in) and lay it on the base and up the sides of the pan. Prick the base with the tines of a fork and fill the tart with the custard. Level the custard well, cover with the remaining pastry rolled a bit thinner, seal the edges well and trim the excess dough.
Place it back in the fridge for 30 minutes so that the butter cools and the tart does not open during baking.
Prick the surface, brush it with milk and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Bake the Grandma’s tart in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 40 minutes or until golden.
Once baked, let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Then dust your Grandma’s tart generously with powdered sugar.
STORAGE
You can store Grandma’s orange tart in the refrigerator, well covered, for 3 days.
You can store Grandma’s orange tart in the refrigerator, well covered, for 3 days.
