You can make this ricotta tart with easy-to-find cow’s milk ricotta, or you can use small-batch sheep’s milk ricotta, which tastes even better. Just remember, if the cheese is watery, you need to drain it in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl until it is no longer releasing liquid. I add orange zest and fennel seeds to my filling, a nod to favorite Sicilian flavors. I reinforce the effect by adding a little Pernod to mycherrieswhen I roast them, then a bit more just before serving.
This recipe was excerpted from 'Delectable' by Claudia Fleming. Buy the full book onAmazon.
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What you’ll need
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Demerara Sugar
$10 At Amazon
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Sliced Almonds
$5 $4 At Amazon
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Vanilla Bean
$6 At Amazon
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9-Inch Tart Pan
$11 $0.03 At Amazon
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Food Processor
$300 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch tart
For the tart shell
For the garnish
For the ricotta filling
For the cherry topping
For the tart shell
Step 1
结合通用和杏仁粉food processor. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt and pulse to mix. Add the butter and process until the mixture is the texture of fine meal. With the motor running, add the egg and process just until it is incorporated.
Step 2
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface (expect it to be quite soft). Gather it together into a ball, wrap it in plastic, then flatten it into a disc. Chill the dough until it is firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days in the refrigerator (or freeze it for up to a month).
Step 3
When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round about 12 inches across and ⅛-inch thick. Dock the dough all over with a fork. Fit the dough into a 9-inch tart shell. (The easiest approach: Slide the bottom of the pan under the rolled-out dough, fold it loosely over the edges, drop the bottom into the pan, then unfold the dough and fit it to the pan.) Trim the edges and chill the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For the garnish
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the almonds in a bowl. Add the corn syrup and mix well (I use my hands). Add the salt and crystallized sugar and toss to coat. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until they are golden, about 15 minutes. Allow the almonds to cool, then reserve about 2 tablespoons. Store the remaining almonds in an airtight container for future use. (They will keep for about 2 weeks.)
For the tart
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the tart shell with tinfoil and fill it with pie weights (dried beans or rice work). Blind-bake the crust until it looks set, about 15 minutes, then remove the weights and foil and bake the tart until it looks dry, about 10 minutes more. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Step 6
Roast the fennel seeds in an ovenproof skillet in the preheated oven until they are fragrant, about 12 minutes. Remove the seeds from the oven, allow them to cool, then grind them in a mortar or with a spice grinder. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
Step 7
Put the ground fennel in a food processor. Add the ricotta, zest, 75 grams sugar, and orange blossom water and process until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in the egg and yolk, then pour the filling into the cooled tart shell.
Step 8
Put the tart pan on a baking sheet (this just makes things easier) and bake it until the filling is set, about 30 minutes. Allow the tart to cool fully in the pan on a wire rack.
Step 9
To make the roasted cherry topping, combine the pitted cherries and 90 grams sugar in a small skillet with a lid. Mix well, then scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the pod and 2 tablespoons of the Pernod. Cover the skillet and roast the cherries until the sugar dissolves and mixes with the fruit juices and the cherries have softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the cherries from the oven, uncover, and allow them to cool in the pan juices.
Step 10
Shortly before serving, strain the cherries, reserving the fruit and juices separately. Return the juices to the skillet and bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the cherry juice until it is slightly syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and add the remaining teaspoon Pernod. Allow the sauce to cool completely.
Step 11
To serve, mound the cherries on the tart. Spoon the reserved syrup over the cherries, top with the sugared almonds, slice, and serve.
