Tangerine-Chocolate Tart

[b-man]

Tangerine-Chocolate Tart

Featuring the first citrus of the season, almonds and deep chocolate, this tart is the stuff celebrations are made of. Garnish each serving with tangerine slices and a citrus leaf or mint.


Crust:

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
1 large egg yolk (save egg white for the filling)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Filling:
1/2 cup slivered almonds (2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1/2 cup tangerine juice (about 3 tangerines) or orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest, preferably organic (2 oranges)
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. Add oil and stir with a fork to blend. Mix 2 tablespoons ice water, egg yolk and lemon juice in a measuring cup. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add just enough of the liquid, stirring with a fork, until the dough clumps together. (Add a little water if the dough seems too dry.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times. Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Coat a 9 1/2-inch removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rough 12-inch circle, slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared pan. Press to fit. Run the rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim the edges; discard trimmings. Wrap the crust in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut a circle of parchment paper or foil, coat one side with cooking spray and cover the chilled crust with it. Weight with pie weights (or dry beans or rice). Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove the paper and pie weights and continue baking until set but not browned, about 4 minutes more. Set aside on the baking sheet.

4. To prepare filling: While the crust is baking, spread almonds in a small baking pan and toast in the oven until fragrant and light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

5. Place the almonds and sugar in a food processor; process until the almonds are ground. Add eggs, egg white, tangerine juice (or orange juice), lemon juice and orange zest; process until blended. Scatter about 2 ounces of the chocolate over the crust. Pour the tangerine filling into the baked crust. 6. Bake the tart at 375° until the filling is set, 25 to 35 minutes. Loosen edges and remove pan sides. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Place the remaining 1 ounce chocolate in a small bowl and set it in a small skillet of barely simmering water to melt. (Alternatively, melt chocolate in the microwave.) Drizzle the chocolate decoratively over the tart.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 243 calories; 14 g fat (5 g sat, 5 g mono); 30 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 67 mg sodium.

To make ahead: Refrigerate crust for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Variation: Lemon-Almond Tart
Substitute lemon juice for tangerine juice and lemon zest for orange zest. Omit chocolate. Garnish with raspberries or blackberries. test kitchen tip: For decorative drizzling, spoon melted chocolate into a small plastic bag, snip off a corner and squeeze.

B-man