We were introduced to Nicole through her son Alfred (master mixologist and heir to the Cointreau empire). The family kindly sent us Eurostar train tickets and hosted us at their beautiful home in Angers. On arrival, we made our way down a long, tree-lined driveway to an old converted barn with a bright, open kitchen at its core.
The whole weekend was a poem in orange: giant pumpkins in the greenhouse, Nicole’s Cointreau-colour-matched skirt, the iconic orange of the Cointreau bottle, and an army of us in the kitchen juicing lemons oranges for tarte d’oranges. It was November but we spent our time outdoors, wading through a thick leaf carpet to find the right shot of Nicole amongst the autumn trees, baby granddaughter Louison to incite extra giggles.
Nicole and her husband spoke limited English but we seamlessly laid the table in unison and all sat down together, using food as a medium for hilarity and storytelling. Cultural differences were showcased when the cheese board came to us first and we cut hunks of fromage double the size of theirs; ‘hungry English girls’ isn’t a very classy title.
This is, however, a classy little custard tart. It can be made with or without Cointreau and served with afternoon tea or as a dessert.
Serves 8–10
Takes 1 hour, 25 minutes
Ingredients
150g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
1 egg
200g flour
For the filling
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
juice of 2 oranges, juice only
2 tbsp Cointreau
For the topping
2 oranges
brown sugar for dusting
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and grease a 25 cm tart tin or dish and set aside.
Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a bowl, then beat in the egg until well combined.
Slowly mix in the flour and a pinch of salt until the mixture comes together. Shape the dough into a disc (this will make it easier to spread out into your tart case later), and wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge to firm up a little.
Meanwhile make the tart filling. Whizz the sugar and eggs together in a blender, add the orange juice and Cointreau and blend again – it will be quite a liquidy mix, but that’s OK. Set aside.
Next slice the top and bottom off your remaining oranges you’re using for the topping with a sharp knife, so you have a flat base to sit them on. Then slice down the sides to remove all the peel and cut the orange into 2–3mm-thick rounds (each orange should make about 8).
Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place it into the base of your tart tin. Use your fingertips to gently push the dough, coaxing it up the sides so it covers the tin evenly. Cut off any excess dough and prick all over with a fork.
Fill the tart case with crumpled greaseproof paper and baking beans (or dried pulses). Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Don’t be alarmed if the sides shrink a little.
Next, pour the filling into the tart case, arrange the orange slices on top (they will sink – not a problem). Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes and when the filling is almost set, sprinkle a generous layer of brown sugar over the top of the dish. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until set and the sugar has caramelised on top.
Leave for a few minutes to cool a little, then serve warm or cold with chocolate mousse, ice cream or cream.
Tip: Nicole has a special spray bottle of Cointreau, and she finishes this tart off with a single spray. Copy her and make one at home for a final burst of bright, bitter, zesty orange.
Read Nicole’s interview here