There’s something special to us about using fresh fruit in our cooking; we’re not sure if it’s the fact that it makes us feel healthier or just that we’re taking advantage of nature’s offerings, but we love to incorporate berries into our diets and this dessert satisfies both our love for fruits and our sweet tooth!
The great thing about this treat is that once you make the crust (which is totally worth it, but you can always simplify things by using a store-bought crust!), the rest is a breeze! Instead of dealing with slightly more complex cream filling, we turned to ricotta and mascarpone to give us a deliciously light, not-too-sweet filling that perfectly complements the berries. Add to that a little lemon zest for zing and you’ve got a wonderful springtime dish that will add to any meal! Try it out and enjoy – you won’t be disappointed!
Ricotta Fruit Tart
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
Crust (makes 2 dough balls):
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Filling:
- 2 cups ricotta
- 2 cups mascarpone
- 3-5 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Fruit Topping:
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup red currants
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Directions
- In a large bowl or mixer, mix ricotta and mascarpone together until completely combined, then add in honey, vanilla bean seeds and lemon zest. Beat until smooth.
- Cover mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
- Begin the glaze by whisking together sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in water, orange juice and lemon juice.
- Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and let cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.
- For the dough: pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Then add cold butter and pulse until butter is the size of peas and mixture is crumbly.
- Slowly drizzle in ice water with the food processor running until dough begins to come together. Then add eggs. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Set up 2, large pieces of plastic wrap and turn dough out. Divide in half, roll each half into a ball, then flatten each into a disc.
- Tightly wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Note: recipe calls for 1 dough disc, so you can freeze the second to use at a later date.
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Remove 1 dough disc from fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness.
- Carefully transfer to a lightly greased, 9-inch, tart tin/springform pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then trim off excess overhang.
- Prick the bottom all over with a fork, cover with aluminum foil and place beans (or other form of weight) on top of the foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 15-20, or until golden.
- Remove and let cool completely.
- Combine berries in a large bowl and muddle slightly. Mix together so juices combine and set aside.
- Once crust is completely cool, spoon ricotta mixture evenly along the inside of pie shell and top with mixed berries.
- Spoon or brush chilled glaze over mixed berries and transfer tart to refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from 12 Tomatoes