Plum Ricotta Tart

Recipe By: adapted from Melissa Clark, New York Times

This is a lovely late summer tart that is not too sweet.  It is based on a recipe by Melissa Clark of the New York Times. The tart itself is a straightforward ricotta tart that has just the right balance of cream and tanginess, thanks to the mascarpone and ricotta.

It’s the fruit drizzled with maple syrup that brings all of the flavors together. At the time of the photo shoot, nectarines were surpassing plums in flavor but I tried it again later in the summer and the plums with this creamy base and floral syrup was terrific.

Plum Ricotta Tart

Servings

8-10

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

30 min

Ingredients

Tart Dough:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Plum Topping:

  • ¼ cup mascarpone
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups ricotta
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg white
  • Plums or peaches
  • Runamok Maple Syrup

Instructions

Preaheat oven to 375°F.

Put the flour, almonds and confectioners’ sugar in food processor with a sharp blade and pulse until the almonds are finely ground.  Add the lemon zest and salt.  Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture is crumbly.  Add egg and blend.  Lastly, put in the poppy seeds and mix in but not so they become a paste.

Roll the dough out onto a clean surface to about ¼” and put in a 9” tart pan, trimming the edges.  Put the pan in the oven and prebake for 8 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the mascarpone, sugar, ricotta and eggs.  Mix until fully blended then pour into the prepared crust.  Return the tart to the oven and bake another 20 minutes or until the filling is just set.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Rinse the fruit then slice into thin pieces.  Gently toss with several tablespoons of Infused Maple Syrup (Sugarmaker's Cut, Ginger Root, or Vanilla Bean each add a unique dimension to the dish) and let the fruit sit for about ten minutes.  When ready to serve, cut a slice of the room temperature tart and top with the fruit and serve.