Ricotta Apricot Tart Recipes

SICILIAN RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• For the Tart Dough: This recipe works best with very cold butter. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Since butter softens rapidly with handling, return the cubes to the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes while you set up the food processor and gather the dry ingredients. Place the flour, sugar, and kosher salt, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse on/off a few times to combine. Add the butter, tossing quickly with a spatula to coat each cube with flour. This prevents the butter cubes from adhering together and helps them to break apart and combine more evenly with the flour. Pulse on and off 15 times until the butter particles are the size of small peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Process for about 10 seconds, stopping the machine before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the contents of the bowl onto a sheet of aluminum foil, pressing any loose particles into the mass of dough. Roughly form the dough into a 7-inch disk. Cover the dough completely with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to use. The dough may be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Let dough rest in refrigerator until needed.
• For the Tart: Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll out each portion of dough on a floured surface into 9-inch free form circles, about 3/8-inch thick, and transfer to baking sheets. Cover and chill the dough while you prepare the filling. Mix the ricotta, egg yolks, tangerine peel, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until well combined. Scatter the chopped dates over the surface of the tart shell leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the outside edge. Spoon the filling over the dates and raise the dough border to enclose the sides of the tart. Press down on the dough where if forms pleats to secure. Bake the tart for 15 to 18 minutes, in preheated 450 degrees, until the crust is golden and the filling is just set. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.

RICOTTA STUFFED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Mix ricotta, honey and cinnamon.
• Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. I use a #18, but any size will work as long as it is large enough for the ricotta mixture to be piped through it.
• Take each apricot and roll it in your fingers to reveal the hole made when the pits were removed. Pipe the ricotta mixture into this hole, filling the apricot.

RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• ---------Tomake the filling--------.
• In a saucepan (stainless steel) whisk two eggs and 1/4 cup sugar until well blended.
• Add the flour a little at a time.
• Gradually add the milk and whisk well.
• Place sauce pan over medium heat and whisk constantly for about 6 minutes or until thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
• Place the filling aside covered with a sheet of buttered wax paper.
• In another bowl beat the Riccota with the remaining sugar and egg yolk until very smooth.
• Fold in the Lemon zest.
• Add the cooled filling blend well and set aside.
• ------Doughcrust----------.
• In a food processor, combine the flour and cornstarch.
• Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix until a soft ball begins to form.
• Knead the dough for a short time on a floured surface and divide in two.
• Wrap one half of the dough securely and freeze it for future use.
• Lightly grease an 11-inch tart pan with removable sides.
• Roll out one half and place in the prepared tart pan.
• Pour the filling into the pie shell and smooth the top.
• Bake in 375F degrees oven for 45-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
• Remove tart to cooling rack.
• Remove sides from pan.
• Cut into wedges to serve.

QUEEN'S VLAAI (APRICOT TART)

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over the ½ cup warm water in a large bowl.
• Let stand until foamy.
• Add butter, salt, ¼ cup sugar and 1 cup flour.
• Beat with a heavy spoon until dough is stretchy.
• Add ¾ cup more flour, stir until well blended.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, (8 minutes) adding just enough flour to prevent sticking.
• Place in a greased bowl, turn over to grease top.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile combine apricots, remaining ½ cup sugar, and the 1 ½ cup, water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally until apricots are tender when pierced.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer apricots to a bowl and let cool.
• Boil syrup, uncovered, over high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, watching closely to prevent scorching.
• Set aside.
• Punch down dough and knead briefly on a lightly floured surface to release air.
• Pat into an 8-in round.
• Press dough evenly over bottom and ¾-inch up sides of well buttered 10- to 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Arrange apricots, slightly overlapping, on dough.
• Pour syrup over fruit.
• Gently press edges down flush with the fruit.
• Bake on lowest rack at 375 until crust is evenly browned. About 40 minutes.

RICOTTA-APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Crust: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat in the egg and half the flour, then add the remaining flour and mix until evenly blended. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a thick disk, wrap it well, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heavily flour your work surface and the dough. Roll the dough to fit a 10-inch tart pan or a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Place the dough in the pan, and prick it all over with the tines of a fork. (The crust will be blind-baked -- baked without any filling -- but it doesn't need to be weighed down with beans or rice or pie weights, as long as you prick it thoroughly with a fork.).
• Bake the crust in a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F, and bake it until it's golden brown, about another 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and cool it while making the filling.
• Filling: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, cream, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, Fiori di Sicilia or orange oil, and flour. Set aside.
• Peel and slice the apricots. To quickly peel apricots, fill a large pan with hot water. Bring it to a boil, and place the apricots in the pan. Bring back to a boil, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the apricots from the hot water and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. The skins should slip off easily.
• Assembly and Baking: Stone and slice the apricots. Pour the ricotta mixture into the tart shell. Place about 10 slices of apricot over the filling; they'll sink partially -- it's OK. Bake the tart in a preheated 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, until the filling looks mostly set.
• Sauce: Place the remaining sliced apricots into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the brown sugar, water, and brandy, if you're using it. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the apricots are cooked through and the sauce starts to thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat, and transfer it to a serving dish. It can remain at room temperature while the tart cools.
• Let the ricotta tart cool for several hours before cutting it into wedges. Spoon the sauce over each piece before serving, or serve it on the side. Refrigerate any leftover tart.