Winter Citrus Tart
This Winter Citrus Tart encompasses the flavors of winter with grapefruit and blood oranges!
Happy Monday!! I hope you all had a great weekend. It’s a three day weekend for some of us and I intend to enjoy this extra day to it’s fullest. Looking at my work calendar, I realized this is the last holiday until Memorial Day in May which is sooooo far away!! I’m definitely going to freeze and hopefully thaw by then.
Winters in Upstate NY are no fun. I don’t care how jolly you are about snow or it’s pureness, I dare you to live in Upstate NY for just one winter and then tell me about this jolly snow you speak of. And when I mean live, I mean actually leave the house daily. It’s beyond miserable but that’s why I focus on the good. The fresh juicy winter fruits, the cute boots, the abundance of comfort foods, and the nightly fires. A girl gotta survive, right?
I found myself with a little too many grapefruits and blood oranges the other day and decided to use up the freshly squeezed juices to make this winter citrus tart that is reminiscent of spring and all the sunshine it brings. I am so glad I did because it did brighten up our days for a little while.
Starting with a brown butter shortbread crust, this winter citrus tart is bursting with sweet blood orange and tart grapefruit juices. Oh, so tart and citrus-y. It is very similar to lemon bars but with a sweet undertone from the blood oranges and grapefruits.
I really think you will enjoy this tart as you bundle up in your sweaters and cozy blankets.
Winter Citrus Tart
This Winter Citrus Tart encompasses the flavors of winter with grapefruit and blood oranges!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest of half a blood orange
For the Filling:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- zest of 2 blood oranges
- 1¼ cup citrus juice (~2 blood oranges, 2 grapefruits, 1 lemon)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- Fresh grapefruits and blood oranges, for topping
Instructions
For Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook butter, whisking constantly until it begins to change color to “amber’ and smells “nutty”. Remove butter from heat and pour into a medium bowl.
- Stir in sugar, flour, salt, and zest. Mix until completely incorporated.
- Press crumbly mixture into a long rectangular tart pan. (this makes enough for a 4” x 13” pan). Make sure the mixture is pressed up the sides and evenly across the bottom.
- Bake the crust for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
For Filling:
- Make the filling while the crust bakes.
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add in the eggs, yolk, zest, and citrus juices and whisk together.
- Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk frequently until the curd thickens.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter until completely melted. Pass the curd through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Pour the curd into the crust after you take it out of the oven. Return the tart to the oven for 15 minutes or until the filling has thickened.
- Let cool slightly on a cooling rack and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
- You can bake this tart in a 9-inch round tart pan.
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Z, love this tart and citrus fruits!! the blood oranges and grapefruits look so pretty! enjoy your day off today and get some rest!
Thanks Alice!! I am really loving this day off!
This is so lovely Z. And I am with you, I hate Chicago winters. I am so ready for Spring it ain’t even funny lol.
Aieee rumor has it Chicago is biting cold!!
Beautiful presentation! Now that’s how you bring the sunshine in.
Thanks Tonya!
That brown butter shortbread crust sounds so amazing, Zainab, and I love blood oranges and grapefruit! This is so pinned. 🙂 And I would never make it through a winter in upstate NY. Just sayin’. 🙂
Hahha thanks Marcie! I want to move to SF 😉
This is a beautiful tart and the addition of fruit on top makes it even better.
Thanks Chineka!
I love citrus fruits, ESPECIALLY grapefruit. This tart is citrusy perfect ~ yum! Enjoy your day off today!
Thanks Sarah!
Winter and citrus need to become a thing! The shortbread + custard combo will never get old. I love the new life you breathed into this dish with the different citrus fruits! Pinning!
Thanks Mary Frances!
Looks totally beautiful. You should take a visit to Jamaica (which you will soon!) it’s 81 degrees here today! Promise you won’t regret it 🙂
I agree Zainab. I hate winter with a capital “H”!! I can’t wait for spring. But until then, this citrus tart would definitely brighten my day!! 🙂
Hahha capital H is the right description lol!
This is so pretty. I love blood oranges, they’re one of my favorites.
Thanks Leslie!
Haha, I love even farther North than that! I totally get it. Luckily I’m on mat leave this winter so I don’t have to leave the house daily! Loving this bright and fresh tart!
Yeah I have NO idea how you do it dear!! Hope you are having a great time at home 🙂
I love tarts. Just loved them. You made this look soooo special. Winter Citrus Tart is a enticing title
too. Very very nice.
Hhhah thanks Carol!!
I don’t know how you do it girl! I don’t even KNOW cold. We Californians whine about how cold 40 degrees is. This tart would definitely brighten things up though! Sounds so delish!
Oh Julie you have no idea! It’s hard!
That filling looks so creamy and I love that the crust is brown butter! Nothing’s better than cheery citrus when the weather is dreary- stay warm sweetie! xoxo
You know I love me some brown butter!!! Thanks Allie!
Oh filling sounds fantastic! 🙂
Thanks dear!
It’s not as cold here as where you are, and I still can’t take it!! Is it summer yet?
Thank god for citrus or I’d go crazy. What a pretty tart!!
Is it really summer yet?? Lol!
Oh man I really need to get me a cutie pie little tart pan. It’s been on my list for a while. This tart is amazing! I just want to eat all the citrus right now!
Hhahah cutie pie tart pan lol! I love this pan!
It’s been so cold over here too and I’ve been dreaming of warmer weather and tropical beaches. Love this gorgeous citrus tart! It’s the perfect way to brighten up a drabby winter day 🙂
Oh Kelly I am sure it’s worse for you! But let’s keep dreaming please 🙂
I live in NC and can barely survive the winter. (but It’s supposed to be in the 60s today) This tart definitely will remind me of spring. I love the shape!
Boy I wish it was in the 60s for me!
I am a huge citrus tart fan. It’s like biting into a piece of sunshine. Definitely needed on these cold gloomy winter days. Pinned!
So agree!!
This looks absolutely delightful!!
Thanks Liz!
Beautiful, elegant, and I ‘m sure delicious! You know, I’ve been resisting the urge to get one of these rectangular baking dishes, but you are making a serious case for it…
(sigh)
Thanks Sally!! I love this pan, always makes elegant tarts!! I hope you are having a great week and your experiments going well!
Oh girl I understand! I lived in Wisconsin winters and Chicago winters, both of which sucks. Nothing jolly about it. Only when its Christmas time otherwise its just blah!
This Tart however, is gorgeous and just makes me happy looking at it. You are the dessert queen! Pinned!
Krista, WI is just as bad so yeah you get it!! Thank you!
I just ate the most amazing grapefruit for lunch today…and then I go and open this post. Now I need to turn the other grapefruit friends into this tart! What a fun idea. It might even help me forget about the snow. Hey, I said might. 🙂 Pinned!
Hahhaha might indeed my friend 🙂
I love the citrus theme of this tart, Zainab! We’re having a little warm spell in the South, but I can imagine the crazy snow you guys must get in upstate New York. Hope you have tons of this bright tart to make it to Memorial day!
Lady, we share MANY of the same feelings about winter. I want to hide under a blanket with this tart!
Hhaha I feel you sister!!
This is such a pretty tart! Something about winter + citrus is just the best 🙂
Thanks Medha!
You don’t have to dare me to live in upstate NY, I don’t miss the snow or the cold weather at all! At least you get to enjoy a beautiful citrus tart to add a little sunshine to your day. As of a huge fan of citrus desserts, I wouldn’t be able to eat just one piece!
Hahhah I wouldn’t dare you 🙂
I love citrus fruits! This tart looks like the perfect way to enjoy them!
I agree!
Z, this looks perfect!! I love all the flavors here. This would definitely brighten up any dreary winter!
It so would!!
Yesssss rectangular tarts are my fav!
What a beautiful tart! It looks delicious 🙂
What a rich tart! Wow!
This transports me to summer…those citrus slices remind me of sea shells :3 …eek how I wish it were summer. Lovely, decadent dessert Zainab.
Stay safe and warm! xo
Yum! I’ve been inhaling blood oranges & grapefruits lately and this looks like the perfect way to combine them both!