Mandarin Orange Tart, #SundaySupper, National #MoscatoDay

Soft-skinned and seedless, easy to peel and a pleasure to eat, Japanese Mandarin oranges are generally referred to as mikan. Like wines the differences in seasons and subtleties are honored. Natsu (summer) mikan, fuyu (winter) mikan and haru (spring) mikan are some of the names for Mandarin oranges. The Satsuma mikan was the first Mandarin exported to the U.S. The Chinese characters / Japanese kanji for mikan (??) mean honey citrus.

Mandarin orange mikan butterflies dance
on a Moscato wine infused tart.

As honey and citrus are hallmarks of Moscato, hoping to double the pleasure of the flavors, I poured drops of the precious wine into my Mandarin Orange Tart. After all, May 9th, National #MoscatoDay is right around the corner. (I want to be ready to celebrate!)

White Moscato Wine Kissed Mandarin Orange Tart

From the family of Muscat grapes, Moscato wines are characteristically sweet and fruity. Accented with citrus flavors, the light to medium bodied wines sparkle with effervescence at the dessert table. The honeyed White Moscato also offers a pleasant balance to dishes spiked with Asian or Mexican spices.

Berries, orange blossoms and peaches cha-cha-cha
in bottles of Moscato wines.

Gallo Family Vineyards offers 3 varieties of the Moscato:

White Moscato bursts with peach, honey and citrus flavors.
Red Moscato boasts of a flourish of berry.
Pink Moscato blushes with berries and orange blossoms.

For tonight’s #SundaySupper at Twitter celebrating National #MoscatoDay, I used White Moscato in the crust, filling and glaze for my Mandarin Orange Tart. (Please see your invite to the event at the bottom of this post.)

Mandarin Orange Tart

Like a fine Moscato wine, this Mandarin Orange Tart dances “trippingly on the tongue” (to quote the Bard) with delicate citrus and honey flavors. The bite from the matcha green tea in the crust is softened with wine and butter, adding another layer of subtle flavor.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1½ cups of crumbled matcha green tea (or your favorite) cookies
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon White Moscato wine

Filling:

2 packages of 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons coconut flour
1 tablespoon White Moscato wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Zest of one lemon

Glaze & Garnish:

½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup orange juice (unless you can find mikan juice!)
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon White Moscato wine
Canned or fresh Mandarin mikan orange segments (8 to 10 ounces)

Directions:

Crust:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Pack into a lightly greased 9” Springform pie tart pan.

Filling:
Blend the cream cheese, sugar, coconut flour, White Moscato, vanilla with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time. Sprinkle in the lemon zest. Mix well. Pour into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool.

Garnish & Glaze:
Vigorously stir cornstarch into a ½ cup of orange juice. Make sure all lumps are dissolved. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and remaining ½ cup of juice to a boil. Pour the cornstarch juice mixture into the saucepan. Add the wine and allow the concoction to thicken. (Allow to boil but do stir regularly.) Drizzle in the corn syrup. Bring to a final boil. Remove from the heat.

When the glaze has cooled, gently dip the Mandarin orange slices into the glaze. Unleash your inner artist and arrange the glazed mikan segments atop the cooled tart. Or create butterflies as pictured.

To replicate the recipe, sweeten your palate and purse; here are sellers of Gallo Family Vineyard Moscato wines and a coupon for your purchase.

To learn more about the Gallo Family Vineyards, visit their website. Or say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Swing into cocktail party mode with cheddar cheese cubes,
Japanese rice crackers and Red Moscato.

Here are a few more recipes inspired by the muses of Moscato wines:

Appetizers and Mains:

Lemon Rosemary Moscato Chicken by Family Foodie
Moscato Meatball Skewers by Melanie Makes
Pork Roast with Peach Moscato Sauce by Magnolia Days
Pork with Moscato Sauce & Veggies by Momma's Meals

Beverages, Breakfast, and Sweets:

Blackberry Bellinis by The Foodie Army Wife
Blackberry Almond Cake with Moscato Zabaione by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Individual Plum Crumbles with Moscato Syrup by Neighborfood
Mandarin Orange Tart by NinjaBaking.com
Mango Moscato Sorbet by Webicurean
Mexican Chocolate Ganache Cake by MealDiva
Mixed Berry Moscato Gelees by Alida's Kitchen
Moscato Gelée with Strawberry Compote by kimchi MOM
Olive Oil Cake with Strawberry-Red Moscato Sorbet and Moscato Zabaglione by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Overnight Peaches and Cream Stuffed French Toast by In The Kitchen With KP
Peachy Apricot Moscato Cake with Moscato Whipped Cream by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Pink Moscato Cupcakes + Citrus Moscato Sangria by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Pink Moscato Strawberry Shortcake by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Raspberry Moscato Sangria by The Messy Baker
Strawberry Pink Moscato Ice Pops by girlichef
Strawberry Tart with Moscato Lemon Curd by Foxes Love Lemons

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

Beautiful berries in a glass and on a plate.

Wishing you days of leisure to sip and savor the pleasures of life.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#MoscatoDay

#SundaySupper

Mandarin Orange Tart Recipe