Baked Lemon & Ricotta Tart With Strawberries

bluemoon downunder's Note:

A rich and creamy baked citrus tart, typical of pre-1950s English cuisine before Australian cooking was changed forever by European then Asian migrants. I've posted this recipe which I found in the 2005 October edition of the cooking magazine 'Australian Good Taste' for the 2005 Zaar World Tour. This recipe includes the making of a rich pastry crust. If you have too little time to make the biscuit-pastry crust and use a bought pastry, the preparation time specified below will be reduced to 5-10 minutes. The preparation and cooking times provided do not include resting and cooling times.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 200 g plain flour, sifted
• 100 g unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
• 29.58 ml caster sugar
• 2.46 ml salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 29.58 ml ice water
• plain flour, extra, to dust
• 350 g fresh ricotta
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks, extra
• 14.79 ml lemon rind, finely grated
• 118.29 ml fresh lemon juice
• powdered sugar icing, to dust
• 250 g strawberries, hulled, washed, dried, halved, to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, place the flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of the food processor and, using the chopping blade, process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the egg yolks and water and process until the dough starts to come together, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap; and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc, and line a lightly greased 25cm-base fluted tart tin, with a removable base, with pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
4. Cover the pastry base with baking powder and fill with pastry weights, rice or dried beans; and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, rice or dried beans and bake for a further 10-12 minutes or until golden, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 190ºC.
5. Place the ricotta, sugar, egg, extra egg yolks and lemon rind and juice in the bowl of the food processor and, using the chopping blade, process the mixture until it is smooth. Pour it into the pastry case and bake the tart in the oven for 30 minutes or until the filling is just set. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
6. Dust the tart with icing sugar, cut into wedges and serve with strawberries.

Reviews

[Kaarin]

This tart is so easy to make-it takes a little time but would be difficult to mess up (even I did all right, despite some pie crust issues!!) The method for the crust worked exceptionally well; my crust didn't shrink at all. I found that this dessert received mixed reviews from the family...most liked it, but some (mostly men) had issues with the texture. I thought it was delicious, although more cheesy than lemony. I think it would be great with a little more lemon even. The tart was beautiful, pale yellow with bright strawberries. Don't skip the dusting of powdered sugar-it added a lot. I enjoyed this, and will make it again, maybe for a brunch. Thanks for sharing this!