Brûlée Tartes à l’Orange

Directions

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 180C. Prepare twelve individual tart tins on a tray and set aside (you may need more or less, if your tart tins are smaller or larger than the ones used here).Weigh and set out all your ingredients before you start.
2. 2
   Place the flour, salt, and raw sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to aerate.
3. 3
   Add the chilled butter and process for a few seconds just until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
4. 4
   Add the egg and process just until the mixture comes together to form a ball. Be careful not to over-process the dough in the processor as the machine will heat the dough and the result will be tough rather than short and flaky.
5. 5
   Place the pastry onto a clean surface sprinkled lightly with flour. I tend to use two sheets of silicone paper and roll out the pastry between them, to prevent it sticking. This also allows me to use less flour, which in turns leads to a flakier pastry. Flatten the pastry slightly and roll it out to a thickness of about 3-4mm. If the pastry is very soft, refrigerate it for five minutes to make it easier to cut out discs to line the tins.
6. 6
   Cut the pastry into rounds slightly larger than the tins. I used a disc ten centimetres in diameter, which fit the tart tins perfectly. Re roll left over scraps again and cut out more rounds. Lift them gently using a pastry scraper or palette knife and line each tin. You can use left over scraps to make frollini cookies in whatever shape you like. I hate throwing away this delicious pastry and the cookies are amazing :)Cover and refrigerate the pastry for an hour or freeze for twenty to thirty minutes before baking. I tend to make the pastry the day before and freeze it until I am ready to bake it.Prick the base of each tart with a fork and bake the tart shells for about 12-15 minutes until golden.
7. 7
   Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack while you make the filling. Weigh and measure all your ingredients before you start.Reduce the oven temperature to 135C.
8. 8
   Place the cream, milk, and orange zest into a saucepan.
9. 9
   Place over a medium heat and bring to boiling point. Switch off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar, and orange juice in a large bowl until well combined.Strain the infused cream mixture over the egg mixture, whisking to combine. Press down on the orange zest in the strainer to extract every last bit of flavour!
10. 10
    Whisk the egg and cream mixture until smooth. Fill the tart shells with the brle filling.
11. 11
    Bake at 135C for 18-20 minutes, only until the filling is set but still a little jiggly in the centre.
12. 12
    Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.Carefully remove each tart from its tin.
13. 13
    Sprinkle a thin layer of caster sugar on each tart.Use a kitchen blow torch to caramelise the top of each tart.
14. 14
    Serve immediately, at room temperature.Extra tarts can be stored for up to 24 hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Caramelise them just before serving. If you caramelise the top and store them in the fridge, the toffee will soften and lose its trademark crack.