This Ricotta Tart Is a Canvas for Any Summer Fruit

Sometimes the trickiest thing about serving ripe summer fruit for dessert is resisting the urge to do too much to it. As much as we all love fruit pies, cobblers and cakes, perfectly juicy fruit (peaches, rosy berries, taut cherries) is often better left naked and raw, maybe spooned onto a scoop of ice cream, a buttery shortcake biscuit or a slice of pound cake to add a sweet and luscious note. The trick is to find something mild and gentle enough to let the fruit star, but still be rich and special enough to seem like dessert.This ricotta tart does just that, offering a crisp and creamy anchor for whatever seasonal fruit you’re able to procure. The tart is vaguely reminiscent of a ricotta cheesecake, but with a higher crust-to-filling ratio. The crust itself is like a shortbread cookie, with almonds for sweetness, lemon zest for fragrance and a smattering of poppy seeds to add flavor and a sandy crunch. (If poppy seeds aren’t your thing, feel free to leave them out.)As for the filling, it’s a barely sweet, shallow layer of ricotta beaten until almost smooth with silky mascarpone, and scented with just enough cinnamon to add warmth and complexity without making the tart taste like Christmas. It’s well worth seeking out really good, milky, fresh ricotta here because you will be able to taste it. With so few ingredients, there’s not much to hide behind.
Bake the tart the same day you plan to serve it, but don’t mound any fruit on top until just before you bring it forth, so the fruit juices don’t compromise the crunchy crust. This said, when juicy summer fruit wanes at the arrival of winter, don’t put away this recipe. A drizzle of good honey makes a sophisticated topping all by itself. And a slice or two will help you pass the months until summer returns.Ricotta Tart with Lemon Poppy Crust
Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus 1 1/2 hours’ chilling and cooling
Yield: 8 servingsFor the Tart Dough:
1 1/2 cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/50 grams blanched, sliced almonds
1/3 cup/40 grams confectioners’ sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup/113 grams/1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon/10 grams poppy seedsFor the Filling:
1/4 cup/55 grams mascarpone
1/4 cup/50 grams sugar
1/8 teaspoon/1 gram cinnamon
1 3/4 cups/400 grams ricotta
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 teaspoon/5 milliliters good strong honey, more for drizzling (optional)
1/8 teaspoon/1 gram kosher salt1. 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 two 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 OK). 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 it’s baked.Note: Crust can be baked 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.Summer Fruit to Dress Your TartBERRIES: 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 one 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 two large or three 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.© 2015 New York Times News Service