The seasonally available blood orange slices provide a delicious contrast to the decadent filling in this dessert inspired by my dinner at Aix. Serve with lightly whipped cream if desired.



Filling:

1 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon chopped candied orange peel

Pinch salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 prebaked 9-inch tart shell

Topping:

1 blood orange, cut in half and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup Seville orange marmalade



Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place ground almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Cool.

Combine toasted ground almonds and butter in a food processor or by hand. Sprinkle in sugar and orange peel and pulse until mixture is combined. Add salt and eggs and combine together.

Spread mixture over the base of a prebaked tart shell. Bake 25 minutes, covering the edge of the pastry with foil if it begins to get too browned, or until filling is puffed and golden. Cool.

Fan orange slices decoratively over top of tart so that each slice has a piece. Melt marmalade in a small pot over low heat. Sieve out peel and brush top of tart with glaze. Serves 4 with leftovers.