Orange Creamsicle Tart

I've always been a fan of the orange creamsicle- the cool citrus exterior melting away to the creamy center.  My favorite treat on a hot summer day!  When I saw the orange creamsicle tart recipe in the Baked Explorations cookbook, I was excited to see these wonderful flavors come together in the form of a tart.  So when it was time for me to choose a recipe to host for Club Baked, I knew it was time to finally try it out. I decided to make the tart for a dinner party I was hosting.  Since the recipe calls for lots of down time for the filling and crust to sit in the fridge, I started early in the morning.  There were a few ingredients I needed to buy before I could start, so I went out to the grocery store (or as my husband calls it, "the food library").  I couldn't find orange cream soda in my grocery store, so I decided to buy and orange soda and a cream soda as a last minute substitution.

The first step of the recipe is to prepare the filling. After the zesting, mixing, heating and whipping, the filling sets in the fridge for 4 hours.  Plenty of time to clean the mess in the kitchen and prepare the crust :)

The next step is to prepare the crust, which also included the zest of one orange.  Since I was also in the process of preparing dips and appetizers for the dinner party, I did something kind of lazy, but also kind of innovative: I used a heaping tablespoon of the zest mush that was sitting the strainer left over from the filling.  I smelled wonderful and looked usable, so why not?  I mixed it in with the crust dough and let the crust set in the fridge before rolling it out.  The resulting crust turned out wonderful and had a great flavor!  If I ever made the tart again, I would probably use re-use the zest again instead of using a new orange.  I should also add that my laziness was coupled with my band-aided finger.  While zesting the first time, I caught my finger- ouch!  The acid from the lemon didn't help :(

After rolling out the tart crust and baking it in the oven, I decided to go with the suggestion of spreading white chocolate to the crust.  I'm glad I did- it prevented the crust from getting soggy!  The crust was nice and firm even after day 2 in the fridge.

When I placed the prepared crust in the fridge to set, I noticed my filling was still very liquidy- if I moved the bowl the filling swished back and forth. It did not look set at all.  The recipe doesn't indicate how set it should be, as the next step is to whisk the filling and let it set in the crust for another hour.  I let the filling set for an additional 4 hours and while it wasn't as bad, it wasn't set.

I waited until last minute to make the whipped topping and serve the pie to allow for extra time for the filling to set.  While the pie was ok to cut, the filling still wasn't as firm as I thought it should be.  It tasted wonderful though, but looked messy on the plates.  The crust was delicious and the whipped cream was the perfect topping to balance the crisp orange filling.

I'm not sure why my filling didn't set properly- my best guess is that I didn't let the soda and orange juice reduce enough, though the mixture was sticking to the spoon before I whipped it with the butter...

I hope the other bakers of Club Baked had better luck with their tarts :)   See the others at:  Club: Baked Orange Creamsicle Tart Links

Here's the recipe from Baked: Explorations:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Zest and juice of 2 medium lemons (2 Tablespoons of zest and 1/4 cup juice)
Zest of 3 large oranges (3 Tablespoons zest and 1 cup juice)
1 cup Orange Cream Soda
3 Large Eggs
2 Large Egg Yolks
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick)Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
Zest of 1 orange (2 Tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Orange Cream Soda

Directions:
Make the Orange Cream Filling:
Place the butter in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a wide bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the lemon juice.
In a medium saucepan, stir together the orange juice and soda. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook until it is reduced by half. Turn the heat to low and whisk to release excess heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon and orange zest, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar and pour the mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 180 degrees F, or the curd easily coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the gelatin mixture. Whisk until the gelatin is completely combined. Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve directly onto the butter. Whisk the mixture furiously until it has increased a bit in volume (the faster you whisk, the more voluminous it will be). Cover the top of the curd with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the curd’s surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Make the Orange Tart Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, zest and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, add the flour all at once, and beat just until the dough comes together in a ball.
Remove the dough from the bowl, shape it into a disk with your hands, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10 inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. 
Gently guide the dough, without pulling it, into a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and lightly press it into place. Roll the rolling pin over the pan to trim off excess. Place the tart in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill it three-quarters full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool.
Assemble the Tart:
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the curd on high for 5 minutes, then spoon it into the tart and level the filling with an offset spatula. Refrigerate the tart for 1 hour to set completely.
Make the Orange Whipped Topping:
Pour the cream into a chilled metal bowl and beat it with a chilled whisk for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the sugar and orange cream soda on top and continue whisking vigorously until soft peaks form. (the whipped cream can be made in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment). Also, if you prefer, you can substitute simple whipped cream for the flavored topping).
To serve, gently push up on the tart bottom to release it from the pan. Top the tart with orange whipped cream.
The tart tastes best if eaten within 24 hours but can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.