Cakes and desserts that combine fruit and cheese are my favorite this time of the year. Whenever Springtime arrives, I love all the fresh fruits in the market and can’t wait to just bake bake bake with it!
This apricot tart is perfect for Springtime – it’s made of a golden crust filled with yogurt and ricotta filling with apricots. It’s fresh, delicious and would make such a great dessert for upcoming Shavuot. If you want, you can also make it with peaches or nectarines instead of apricots – either way you’ll get a festive, impressive and beautiful tart.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Apricot Tart with Yogurt Ricotta Cream
For the crust:
- 120 grams (1 stick) cold butter cut into cubes
- 180 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 25 grams (2 tbsp.) sugar powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tbsp. milk (as needed)
For ricotta and yogurt cream filling:
- 280 grams sheep yogurt (or natural Greek yogurt)
- 200 grams (1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 8 apricots (halved)
For yogurt cream:
- 140 grams very cold sheep yogurt (or natural Greek yogurt)
- 125 ml. (1/2 cup) very cold whipping cream
- 50 grams (5 tbsp.) sugar powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 15 grams (3 tsp.) instant vanilla pudding powder
For decoration:
- 4-5 finely sliced apricots
- A little nappage for glazing
Crust:
- In a food processor with a steel blade put flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
- Add egg yolk continue to blend just until large clumps of dough form. If needed, add a little milk gradually.
- Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Roll out the dough on a floured work surface about 3-4 mm thick and line the pie pan. It is important to create a right angle between the sides and the base of the crust, which will ensure the edges remain high when baking.
- Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork. Freeze the crust for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 175c degrees.
- Blind baking: put a sheet of heat-resistant plastic wrap or baking paper on the frozen crust and fill with dry beans or special weights for baking.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 6-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Cool for 15 minutes at room temperature and reduce oven temperature to 150c degrees.
Ricotta and yogurt cream filling:
- In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, ricotta cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla into a uniform mixture.
- Add the eggs one by one, mixing well between additions.
- Add the flour and continue to mix until combines.
- Pour the filling into the crust and straighten the top.
- Arrange the apricot halves in the filling gently.
- Bake the tart for about 20-25 minutes or until the filling sets at the edges and is still slightly soft in the center.
- Cool completely before decoration.
Yogurt Cream:
- In a mixer bowl with whipping attachment, whip yogurt, cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and pudding until you get a very stable whipped cream.
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a smooth 2 cm piping tip.
- Arrange thinly sliced apricots at the edge of the tart and drizzle cream in the center.
- Gently brush the apricots with some nappage for glazing and serve.
- The tart is at its best on the day of preparation, but it can be kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Instead of apricots you can use nectarines, peaches and even cherries.
Photo: Natalie Levin