Almond Sunrise Mousse Tart
A rainbow of creamy citrus mousse, decadent and nutty frangipane, and crunchy almonds, on a crisp shortbread crust. This recipe puts the 'tart' in tart.
This recipe may seem daunting, but the three mousses all use the same method, so once you’ve done the orange mousse, just repeat the process for the other two! You can also split this recipe up over multiple days very easily, which is why I’ve included the time frames for each individual section, so you can take it a step at a time at your own pace.
Servings: 12 | Prep Time: 2 hours + 2 hours chilling | Cook Time: 40 to 50 minutes
11" removable bottom tart pan
Silicone dome molds in medium (1.5” diameter) and small (1.2” diameter) (link)
Microplane zester
Rolling pin
Saucepans
Hand-mixer / Stand-mixer
Fine mesh sieve
Whisk
Plastic wrap
Parchment paper
Aluminum foil
Baking sheets
Food processor / Blender
Room in your fridge and freezer for chilling (very important!)
Shortbread Crust:
3 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 ⅓ cups butter, cold
Frangipane:
8 tbsp butter, room temp
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp almond emulsion (I use LorAnn)
1 ¼ cups fine almond flour
Orange Mousse:
2 large egg yolks
6 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp gelatin powder
6 tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed and divided
2 tsp orange zest
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Orange food coloring
Lemon Mousse:
2 large egg yolks
7 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp gelatin powder
7 tbsp lemon juice, divided
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Yellow food coloring
Orange food coloring
Cranberry Mousse:
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp gelatin powder
2 tbsp cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
2 tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp lemon juice
⅔ cup cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Crimson food coloring
Decorations:
½ cup raw almonds
Shortbread Crust (20 minutes)
In a medium bowl stir together flour and powdered sugar. Cube the butter and toss with the flour so they are fully coated.
Using your fingers, pinch the butter into flakes and combine with the flour until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. (The mixture may appear crumbly at first.)
Gently knead into a disc, cover in plastic and chill about 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, prepare the frangipane.
Frangipane (10 minutes)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined, then add the almond emulsion and mix. (If you don't have almond emulsion, you can use almond or vanilla extract, just double the amount!)
Next, add the almond flour, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Shortbread Crust cont’d. (10 minutes)
Once the dough is chilled, roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper until it is approximately ⅛ inch thick and at least 14” in diameter.
Carefully place the dough in an 11" removable bottom tart pan, gently lifting and dropping in the sides of the dough to avoid tearing. Press gently (using your knuckles or a ball of excess dough) into the corners and sides. Carefully roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan's edge to cut off any excess. Refrigerate.
Orange Mousse (20 minutes)
In a medium bowl, mix the yolks and 2 tbsp sugar for about 1 minute until creamy and light yellow.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp thawed orange juice concentrate with 1 tbsp water. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let swell for 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, bring to a boil the 5 tbsp remaining orange juice concentrate, 5 tbsp water, 4 tbsp remaining sugar, orange zest, heavy cream, and a few drops of orange food coloring (or as much as needed to achieve a vibrant color). Remove from heat and pour ¼ of the boiled mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, to temper.
Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining boiled mixture in the saucepan, return to heat and boil about 15 to 20 seconds, making sure not to overcook. Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin.
Place the small dome mold on a baking sheet. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (to remove the zest) into a measuring cup (or any container with a spout for more control) and fill the molds. Chill in the fridge until set and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm. Any extra mousse is not needed and can be poured into a small bowl and chilled for enjoying later!
Lemon Mousse (20 minutes)
In a medium bowl, mix the yolks and 2 tbsp sugar for about 1 minute until creamy and light yellow.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 2 tbsp lemon juice and let swell for 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, bring to a boil 5 tbsp lemon juice, 5 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp water, the heavy cream, a couple drops of yellow food coloring, and a very small amount of orange food coloring (dab a small amount onto a toothpick and run it through the mixture to add a little at a time until the desired color is achieved). Remove from heat and pour ¼ of the boiled mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, to temper.
Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining boiled mixture in the saucepan, return to heat and boil about 15 to 20 seconds, making sure not to overcook. Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin.
Place the medium dome mold on a baking sheet. Pour the mixture into a measuring cup (or any container with a spout for more control) and fill the medium dome molds. Chill in the fridge until set and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
Cranberry Mousse (20 minutes)
If you only have one set of small dome molds, you will use it again for the cranberry mousse. Once the orange mousse domes have completely frozen, unmold and move them to a freezer safe container and keep frozen. Wash and dry the mold thoroughly and place on a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix the yolks and sugar for about 1 minute until creamy and light yellow.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on the 2 tbsp thawed cranberry juice cocktail concentrate and let swell for 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, bring to a boil the ⅔ cup cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream, and a couple drops of crimson food coloring (or as much as needed to achieve a vibrant color). Remove from heat and pour ¼ of the boiled mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, to temper.
Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining boiled mixture in the saucepan, return to heat and boil about 15 to 20 seconds, making sure not to overcook. Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (to remove the zest) into a measuring cup (or any container with a spout for more control) and fill the small dome molds. Chill in the fridge until set and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
Baking & Assembly (15 minutes prep + 40 to 50 minutes cooking + 2 hours chilling)
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Line the interior of the chilled tart crust with aluminum foil. Fill with pie weight of choice (I use ceramic weights, but you can use uncooked rice or even flour) and blind bake for 14 minutes.
Remove the weights and foil, carefully as they will be hot, and dock the bottom of the crust with a fork. Continue to bake until the bottom of the crust is dry, about 7 to 9 minutes.
Add the chilled frangipane in spoonfuls over the bottom of the tart. Return to the oven for 2 to 4 minutes to allow the cream to start to melt. Remove from the oven and spread the cream with a spatula so it covers the entire bottom evenly. Bake until the frangipane is set and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before continuing.
Unmold and place the mousse domes on top of the frangipane layer in an alternating pattern, as pictured, or however you like. Don't be afraid to get creative with your design! Work quickly as the mousse is easier to handle while frozen.
Once you have everything where you want it, place the raw almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Carefully fill in all the remaining gaps between the mousse with the chopped almonds.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. It is best served at least 2 hours later, so the frozen mousse has time to fully thaw.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade