Red Grapefruit and Ricotta Tart

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A few weeks ago I met my good (and so talented) friend Tal Hausen, who is one of the best pastry chefs I know in Israel. We decided to have a baking day, and made two different tarts.

The first tart we made was Extra Strawberry Tart, which is a great dessert for strawberry lovers. The second tart is the following recipe.

This is a grapefruit and ricotta tart, made of golden, buttery crust filled with almond and ricotta cream (scented with some fresh grapefruit peel), topped with delicate ricotta cream and fresh red grapefruit segments.

Red Grapefruit and Ricotta Tart

Photo: Natalie Levin



Red Grapefruit and Ricotta Tart

10*20 cm rectangular pie pan or baking form

For short crust pastry:
150 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams cold butter, cut into cubes
40 grams icing sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1-2 tbsp. cold water (as needed)

For almond and ricotta cream:
50 grams almond meal
40 grams sugar
50 grams cold butter cut into cubes
150 grams fresh ricotta cheese
1 large egg yolk
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Zest of 1 red grapefruit

For ricotta cream:
250 grams fresh ricotta cheese
40 grams sugar powder
1 tsp. pudding powder or cream stabilizer

Decoration:
Segments from 1 grapefruit
Red grapefruit peel strips
Edible silver powder

Preparation:

  1. Crust: in a food processor with a steel blade put flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
  2. Add egg yolk and continue to process just until large clumps of dough form. If the dough is not setting, gradually add a little water.
  3. Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
  4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
  5. 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.
  6. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork. Freeze the crust for about an hour.
  7. Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
  8. 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.
  9. Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
  10. Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 12-15 minutes or until it is completely golden brown.
  11. Cool at room temperature.
  12. Almond and ricotta cream: in a food processor with a steel blade put almond meal, sugar, butter, ricotta, egg yolk, salt, flour and grapefruit peel and blend until you get a uniform, thick cream.
  13. Pour the cream on the baked crust and flatten evenly.
  14. Bake at 170c degrees for 10-15 minutes until the cream is set at the edges, golden and still slightly soft in the center.
  15. Cool completely.
  16. Ricotta cream: in a bowl, whisk ricotta cheese, powdered sugar and stabilizer until blended.
  17. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with 2 cm round piping tip.
  18. Pipe mounds of ricotta cream at the center of the tart and arrange segments of grapefruit around in a fan.
  19. Garnish with a little silver powder and red grapefruit peel strips and serve.

Notes:

  • Serve the tart on the day of preparation, then it’s at its best.
  • The tart can be kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Instead of grapefruit you can use any other citrus fruits you like.
  • Edible silver powder can be obtained in baking specialty stores.
Red Grapefruit and Ricotta Tart

Photo: Natalie Levin