Ricotta Tart With Lemon Poppy Crust

This simple, not-too-sweet tart is reminiscent of a cheesecake but with a higher crust-to-filling ratio. If you’ve got excellent, ripe fruit, feel free to lay it on top — berries, figs, poached rhubarb or pears, pineapple, plums — anything sweet and juicy will contrast nicely with the milky ricotta filling. Or just drizzle the tart with good flavorful honey and serve it plain. It’s an elegant way to end a meal.

If you aren’t a poppy seed fan, just leave them out of the crust. Or substitute sesame seeds instead for a similar crunch, if different flavor.

Ingredients

For the tart dough:

• 1 ½ cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/50 grams blanched sliced almonds
• ⅓ cup/40 grams confectioners’ sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch kosher salt
• ½ cup/113 grams/1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams poppy seeds

For the filling:

• ¼ cup/55 grams mascarpone
• ¼ cup/50 grams sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon/1 gram cinnamon
• 1 ¾ cups/400 grams ricotta
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon/5 milliliters good strong honey, more for drizzling (optional)
• ⅛ teaspoon/1 gram kosher salt

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

    404 calories; 25 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 109 milligrams cholesterol; 179 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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8 servings

Preparation

1. Make the tart shell: Place 1/4 cup/31 grams of flour and the almonds in a food processor with the blade attachment. Process until almonds are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups/154 grams flour, the sugar, the lemon zest and the salt. Pulse to combine.
2. Add butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add egg and pulse just until a crumbly dough comes together. Add poppy seeds and pulse briefly to combine. Press dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. When ready to bake the tart, roll the dough out between 2 sheets of plastic to a 3/8-inch thickness. Line a 9-inch tart pan with the dough and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line the tart shell with foil and fill with baking weights. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and baking weights. Continue baking, uncovered, for about 15 additional minutes or until tart is light golden in color.
5. While the tart crust is baking, make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine mascarpone, sugar and cinnamon. Using the paddle attachment, beat mixture until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ricotta, egg plus egg white, honey and salt, and mix to combine. Pour filling into baked tart shell and smooth the top (crust can still be hot when you add the filling).
6. Bake tart for 20 to 30 minutes, or until filling is just set in the center (a little wobble is O.K.). Let cool at room temperature on a wire rack. If you like, drizzle with honey or arrange fruit on top just before serving. Tart is best served the same day as baking.

• Crust can be baked 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.
• BERRIES Heap a mix of ripe berries, whatever kinds are available, on top of the tart (1 to 1 1/2 cups is about right). Garnish with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey if you like.
• FIGS Trim and halve a pint of ripe figs and arrange over top of tart. Drizzle with honey or orange blossom water, or both, if you like.
• STONE FRUIT Toss 1 1/2 cups of sliced stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums or a mix) with just enough maple syrup or honey to sweeten. Mound over tart.
• RHUBARB Dice 3/4 pound of rhubarb and simmer with 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise. When sugar dissolves and rhubarb is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, remove from the heat. Let cool before spooning compote over the tart.
• POACHED PEARS Peel and core 2 large or 3 small pears and halve them lengthwise. Poach in red or white wine, sweetened to taste with honey, until just tender, 10 to 30 minutes depending upon the variety and ripeness of fruit. Let cool in poaching liquid, then slice and fan out on top of tart. You can season the poaching liquid with a bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise or a split vanilla bean if you like.