Eight years ago, about this time, our daughter, Melissa, and her family were spending Easter with Michael and me at our home in Nevada. I was in a state of frazzle. The ramifications of Michael’s illness and the resulting responsibilities were overwhelming me. I’d recently had another meeting with our health care consultant who told me things were only going to get worse, never better. And our new phones, among other things in the house, didn’t work. It was a difficult holiday.
Orange-Almond Cream Tart, my French Firday’s with Dorie recipe choice this week
The following week, maybe Wednesday, Melissa called to chat. A few minutes into the call she casually said, “Mom, Stephen and I were just thinking…..”
(Whoa. Click into high alert. Whenever my son-in-law’s name is evoked, it’s not going to be good.)
“maybe it’s time you and Michael consider moving into a condo where everything is easier.”
As I recall the resulting conversation was very short. If my recollection is right, I just might have ended it with “When pigs fly.”
Today, after dispensing with a lifetime of belongings and a houseful of furniture, I just completed my second year of living in a 940-square foot condo where the phones always work and my chores are few. And, every so often I look up to see Wilbur, Babe and the Three Little Pigs passing by overhead. That’s the reason my French Friday’s with Dorie recipe this week is this scrumptious Orange-Almond Cream Tart. Here’s the lowdown on this sweet celebratory dessert and the special crew at The Gant who shared it.
The Front Office staff at The Gant who pronounced the Orange-Almond Cream Tart as fabulous and delicious. I’m going with that.
Americans bake fruit pies. The French prefer fruit tarts. Pate sablée (sweet dough) and almond cream are two of the three essential tart parts. Oranges are an unexpected twist but a flavorful one. Tarts are exquisite desserts often dismissed by us. I urge you to master the dough and the cream, quite easy tasks, then pick a fruit of your choosing. You’ll be pleased by the result. Although I’ve included the recipes below, here are four extra tips:
The Orange-Almond Cream Tart, ready for the oven..
1. Both the Pate Sablée and Almond Cream can be made days ahead.
2. If your tart crust starts to brown too much, cover it with tin foil.
3. Although the oranges need to be peeled and separated into segments, remember that the almond cream, when baked, covers up many sins!
4. Refer to my Post, https://www.lightsonbrightnobrakes.com/french-fridays-tart/, It’s All About the Tart, to see other ways to use sweet dough, almond cream and fruit (apples, pears, cherries, figs, peaches, nectarines, apricots, or plums) to make wonderful desserts.
This Pear-Almond Cream Tart is made with the same crust, filling but different fruit.
I returned home this week after a three month absence. If you recall, I live at The Gant, a 143-condo resort complex in downtown Aspen offering upscale lodging opportunities to tourists. Each condo is individually owned but managed by a staff of 100.
I returned home in time to join my dear friend, Luky, at the Aspen Mountain Club, where she is the Membership Director, for a delicious Easter Brunch.
Never did I believe this living situation would be such a fortunate stroke of serendipity. I arrived with more memories than baggage to live in the smallest spaces of my life. I can usually grow where I’m planted but even to me, this was a stretch. However, I soon discovered if I had visions of self-pity, licking my wounds or grieving, I’d picked the wrong address.
Tuesday morning I joined the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Birdwalk. At our North Star Preserve we observed a Heron Rookery with 5 active nests. This Rookery , located in conifers, is the highest in Colorado.
The Gant staff is all about great service and providing comfort. “Are you having a good day, Mrs. Hirsch?” I’d be asked. “Do you need anything?” “Mrs. Hirsch, How’s your day going?” Honestly, I almost felt obligated to just get out there and, doggone it, not return until I’d had a good day.
Our nature group is beginning a study of Colorado water issues this month. My colleague, Donna, and her husband, Bernie, invited me and well-respected Colorado journalist Brent Gardner- Smith and his wife, Ann to dinner. Brent is a recognized authority on local water issues. We had questions. Perhaps, too many.
As you might suspect, I am very independent, closely guarding my privacy, and, of course, they all have jobs to perform. During the past two years we’ve settled into an easy and compatible relationship in which I’ve thrived. The goodwill of 100 who always have your back is something to treasure. I know that for sure.
Since the road to the Pass is closed, my friend and neighbor, Ann, and I hiked up towards Independence Pass this morning.
As these photos show, my returning to Aspen has been wonderful. But, sadly, I also returned home to grieve with my special friend, Karen, who unexpectedly lost her husband in February. Jim, newly retired from an unblemished career flying jumbo birds internationally, was my friend and one of this blog’s staunchest supporters. From the day I wrote my first French Fridays with Dorie Post, he called me Dorie. I knew he never understood the concept of FFWD nor had heard of Dorie Greenspan but to one and all, I was Dorie. If it was my project, he’d be a booster. “How ‘bout dinner tonight, Dorie?” or “Dorie,” he’d ask, “What’s your recipe this week?”
Before I left for my Cambria winter the three of us drove to Denver to see the Broadway production of “Kinky Boots.” For dinner, after meticulous online research, he promised he had found ‘the perfect tiny French bistro for Karen and Dorie.’ The bistro was indeed très magnifique and the evening, magical. No one dreamed it would be our last. Too young. So missed. Fly High, my friend.
This White-breasted Nuthatch lives in the cottonwood near my balconey.
Orange-Almond Tart by Dorie Greenspan, Around My French Table
INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe Pate Sablée by Dorie Greenspan (Sweet Tart Dough), partially baked and cooked
4 navel or other meaty oranges
Almond Cream
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) sweet butter at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 large egg
2 tsp. dark rum or 1 tsp. top-quality vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
To prepare the oranges: Using a sharp knife (I use a chef’s knife), cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange so it can stand upright. Working from top to bottom and following the curve of the fruit, use the knife to remove the peel in wide bands, cutting down to the fruit. You want to expose the juicy fruit, so take the thinnest little bit of fruit away with each strip of peel. Carefully run the knife down the connective membranes to release the orange segments one by one. Place the segments between a triple layer of paper towels and let them dry for at least 1 hour, or for several hours, or even overnight. If you have the chance and the towels seem saturated, change them.
To make the Almond Cream: Put the butter and sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the almond flour and process until well blended. Add the all-purpose flour and cornstarch, and process, then add the egg. Process for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogenous. Add the rum or vanilla and process just to blend. (If you prefer, you can make the cream in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a bowl with a rubber spatula. In either case, add the ingredients in the same order.) You can use the almond cream immediately or scrape it into a container and refrigerate it until firm, about 2 hours. It’s better if you can allow the cream to chill, but it’s not imperative. (The cream can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.)
To bake: When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart shell on it. Stir the almond cream, then turn it into the crust, smoothing the top. Arrange the orange slices in a decorative pattern over the top. Don’t cover every bit of cream — it will bubble and rise as it bakes, and it’s nice to leave space for it to come up around the fruit.
Bake the tart for 50 or 60 minutes, or until the cream has risen and turned golden brown. If you slip a knife into the cream, it should come out clean. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Right before serving, dust the tart with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!
French Fridays with Dorie is an international group of food bloggers cooking the book, Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan.
I can see from this post you have hit the trail running. How did you have time to bake the pie much less write this post?
Oh yea…it was the flying pigs. Wilbur, Babe and the 3 Little Pigs your new best friends. Laughing out loud lady.
Wilbur et al are lucky they got to eat some of that gorgeous pie.
im so sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, Mary. Your tart looks great. This is one I have to make up. Don’t know why it’s taking me so long!
Yum! ❤️
People make all the difference in life and you’re surrounded by good ones Mary! I love almond cream for tarts, but never tried it with oranges so intriguing! I must make this recipe soon. Always a pleasure to read you my friend!
What a blessing to live in such a great place with such supportive people around you. California is beautiful but I know this must be a lovely change of scenery! I worked in the Swiss Alps one summer many years ago. I think if you live in the mountains there’s always a part of your heart that stays there.
Love this tart, it sounds wonderful.
So sorry to hear about your loss Mary. xx And this tart remains one of my favourites from AMFT.
I am so, so sorry about the loss of your friend. I’m glad Karen has you. And I’m also glad you found the perfect home. And that I know where to find you!!! I’m sure the gang at the Gant devoured your tart 🙂
So sorry for your loss, Mary! Hard to lose a good friend!
I am trying to purge myself of unnecessary items that I have been collecting for far too long! Spring cleaning this year will be about discarding stuff and throwing out!! Hopefully!!
Your Orange Almond Tart looks fabulous! Lucky staff at the Gant! Happy Friday…enjoy your weekend!
Very sorry for your loss, Mary! Hard to lose a good friend! Karen is lucky to have you as a friend.
I am trying to purge myself of unnecessary items that I have been collecting for far too long! Spring cleaning this year will be about discarding stuff and throwing out!! Hopefully!!
Your Orange Almond Tart looks fabulous! Lucky staff at the Gant! Happy Friday…enjoy your weekend!
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear friend. He sounds like a special soul.
Years ago a good friend of mine tried to set me up with a relative of hers who lived in California. I lived in Chicago at the time and told her, in no uncertain terms, that I didn’t believe in long distance relationships. When I then started dating a guy who lived in Germany within that same year… well, she may have been justified in reminding me of my little anti-long distance rant. So I am well acquainted with the pigs:-)
Mary you really could be a grief counselor you exude so much strength and optimism; your friend Karen couldn’t have a better person to help her through the death of her husband. Thanks for sharing some of your found memories of Jim I get a sense that he could be a real character.
I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend. But am glad for your friend that she has someone by her side who knows what it’s like to lose a husband. I’m sure you’ll be a rock to her.
This is a wonderful post – it was so engaging that I forgot about the recipe until the end! LOL!! I am so envious of your Blue Heron sightings – you know I love them. IF I get to retire, that will give me more time to seek them out.
Looking forward to more posts like this from you.
Mary, so sorry to hear about your loss. As Rose said, he sounds very special, and we all have that one special friend.
Happy that you are home again, hopefully Spring will be here soon for all of us no matter where we are.
Your tart looks fantastic, I love making tarts, it is such an accomplishment. Have a great weekend. BTW,
thanks to both you and Betsy for all the hard work that you two have put into this project, we couldn’t have done it without you. It kept this this young “OLD” lady so busy I didn’t have time to remember I was old. Now I have to convince the legs to go along…. Have a great weekend.
Thank you, Ro, for your kind words. Betsy and I actually talked on the phone this morning and we also agreed that this has been the most wonderful of experiences. One of MY real treats was meeting you and Tricia in Seattle. Your mother/daughter blog had always intriqued me. To see the two of you interact at the Conference and to see the love and comraderie was really special. I have a fabulous relationship with Melissa. We also have a wonderful time together filled with laughter. But, if we lived next door to each other, not so sure. I know you miss not having them close by anymore, Ro. I aspire to be your kind of “old.” XOX
How very sad to lose someone that supported you in your various journeys. I’m so sorry Mary. When my husband and I married he had two homes and I two apartments and 3 (THREE!) storage garages. I feel as if I have been downsizing for the last 10 years. (one home, 1 storage garage.) When it is time, I will be down to a condo and I know I will feel so liberated. As long as I have a kitchen big enough to cook a tart for those who look after things I know, like you, we will be just fine!
What a bittersweet post, Mary. I smile imagining you being well looked after by the Gant staff while reveling in your independence. You’ve landed in a good place. I’m sorry about the loss of your friend. Karen has a good friend in you to lean on. And thanks for the reminder of this tart. I loved it and now hope to revisit it. I remember that the crust and filling are enough if you don’t have fruit (or are feeding -someone who doesn’t prefer fruit in his baked goods). Have a great weekend.
Mary, I am so sorry to here of your loss of a close friend. Life is so very fragile and I think we all tend to forget this until we lose someone dear to us, then the brakes are applied quickly! Your tart looks lovely and something I will have to attempt, coming in to the group so late , there are so many make ups I want to do- just not sure where to start.
Sorry to hear about Jim – it’s never easy to lose someone close. I love all of your photos with this post – I bet the staff at The Gant loved this tart.
Mary, this is one of your oh-so-delightful posts. Filled with joy, a bit of sorrow, and a super-delicious looking dessert!! I know you loved being in Cambria, but also that you love coming home to Aspen. I’m sure all of the people at The Gant were thrilled to see you again, and also appreciated a little of the deliciousness you shared! This is one of my favorite desserts, though it’s been a long time since I made one. I need to correct that. You are right! It’s terrific, and something we need to do more of in the states. I’m lucky, in my family, even for birthdays, a special dessert always wins out over cake (or it needs to be a “special” cake – not just plain with frosting – I can’t remember the last time I made one!).
Well done! Enjoy your first days back – looks like you already are. Though of course, bittersweet with the passing of your friend. It’s great that you are there for your friend Karen to lean on. Hugs!
awww how lovely ! I like that your holidays are turning around for you, theres plenty to smile about after all! Your tart looks great and I love how much a family to you The Gant seems to be! Those nuthatches were my favorite birds in California and our trees always had LOTS of them! 🙂
Mary – I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Losing people that we care for totally sucks, doesn’t it? Your post was a lovely tribute and I have a funny feeling those folks at the Gant would love you with or without desserts. (But the sweets do help!)
I know that was hard for you to share, but I appreciate your candor. Lovely post.