More than anything, oranges reminds me of winter. I love this juicy fruit and making all kinds of desserts of it. This orange tart is based on a Sable Breton crust, topped with ricotta and vanilla cream, and above all fresh orange segments.

Photo: Natalie Levin
Orange Tart with Ricotta and Vanilla Cream
24 cm round cake pan
For orange and coconut Sablé Breton:
75 grams soft butter
75 grams sugar
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 orange
1 tbsp. orange juice
2 large egg yolks
100 grams all-purpose flour
50 grams ground coconut
8 grams baking powder
Ricotta cream domes:
100 grams ricotta cheese
125 ml. heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar powder
1 tsp. cream stabilizer or instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
For mango cream:
1 gram gelatin powder
5 ml. water
75 ml. orange juice
1 egg
30 grams sugar
50 grams soft butter
A few drops of yellow and red food coloring (optional)
For vanilla cream:
250 ml. heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar powder
1 tsp. cream stabilizer or instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Decoration:
Orange segments
Tiny mint leaves
Grated orange peel
Preparation:
Orange and coconut Sablé Breton:
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees and lightly butter the pan.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment put butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and orange zest and whip at high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add egg yolks one at a time, whipping between additions until smooth.
- Add juice, flour, coconut and baking powder and mix until you get smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough into the pan and flatten it to a thin layer with your hands.
- Bake the base for about 12-17 minutes or until it is completely golden brown.
- Cool at room temperature.
Ricotta cream domes:
- In a bowl of a mixer, whip ricotta, cream, sugar powder, stabilizer and cream to a stable smooth cream.
- Pour the cream into a 4-5 cm mini domes silicon mold and level the top with a palate knife.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours or until completely frozen.
Orange cream:
- In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside about 10 minutes, until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
- In a medium saucepan whisk orange juice, egg and sugar.
- Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, while constantly whisking, until the mixture thickens (similar to lemon curd). Remove from heat.
- Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave, add into the cream and mix until blended.
- Strain and add the butter. Whisk until incorporated. If desired, add a little food coloring at this stage.
- Transfer the cream into a pastry bag with a 1 cm round piping tip. Refrigerate until use.
Vanilla cream:
- In a bowl of a mixer whip cream, sugar powder, stabilizer and vanilla until stable cream forms.
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag with 2 cm jagged piping tip.
- Assemble the tart: extract the ricotta cream domes from the molds and arrange freely on the baked crust.
- Drizzle vanilla cream between the domes.
- Drizzle small droplets of orange cream freely between all elements.
- Arrange orange segments, tiny mint leaves and a little zest and serve.
Notes:
- Keep the tart in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.
- Instead of coconut you can use ground almonds.

Photo: Natalie Levin