Apricot Ricotta Tart Food

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.

APRICOT RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• For the pastry crust: Mix 1 1/3 sticks softened butter with the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp. rum, 1 egg, and 1 egg yolk. Combine the ingredients well. Add the flour, the cornstarch, and the lemon zest. Knead to obtain a soft and even dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• For the filling: Mix the ricotta until soft and creamy. Beat the remaining egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. Disaronno liqueur. Stir in the almonds. Whisk in the ricotta.
• For the caramelized apricots: Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Caramelize 1/4 cup sugar in a pan with 1 Tbsp. butter; add the apricots and baste with 2 Tbsp. Disaronno liqueur. Cook for a few minutes; turn off the heat and let rest.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper, fill the pan with dried beans, and bake at 350°F for around 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes to let the crust dry out. Remove the crust from the oven, fill it with the cream, and bake again at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the caramelized apricots and their juice. Let the tart cool and serve.

RICOTTA TART WITH APRICOT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• To prepare crust, roll out chilled Sweet Pastry on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing pastry onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim edges of pastry. Prick bottom of crust all over with a fork.
• Line bottom of pastry with a piece of parchment paper and fill pastry with pie weights, dried beans or raw rice. This helps prevent the crust from shrinking or puffing up during baking.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Continue baking until crust is fully baked and light golden, about 5 - 10 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To prepare filling, use medium speed of an electric mixer and beat together cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add ricotta and beat until smooth. Add eggs, lemon peel and salt; beat until blended. Pour filling into crust in pan.
• Bake until filling is almost set, about 40 - 45 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on a rack.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Uncover and top with Apricot Compote.

APRICOT TART-EASY!

Steps:

• -Heat oven to 350°F
• -Fit 1 piecrust into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (save the other crust for future use).
• -Place the almonds, cookies, and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse to a fine sand; sprinkle on the bottom of the crust.
• -Halve and pit the apricots. Arrange them, cut-side down, on top of the crumbs.
• -Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
• -Put the jelly into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until melted and bubbling, stirring constantly. Spoon over the tart. Set aside to cool completely.
• Garnish with blueberries or blackberries and serve.

APRICOT & RICOTTA TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Tip all the ingredients for the base, except for the egg, into a food processor and blend until like breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blend again to make a paste. Scrape onto the base of a greased 24cm loose-bottomed springform tin, spread with a spatula then bake for 25 minutes until risen and just set.
• Meanwhile beat the ricotta in a bowl with the eggs, soured cream, sugar and vanilla, then when the base has had its 25 minutes, take it out of the oven. Quickly scatter the apricots over the base and pour the cheese mixture on top. Return to the oven for 50 minutes more until the mixture has set and is starting to turn golden round the edges.
• Run a knife round the cake to release it from the sides of the tin then cool and chill. You can make this a day ahead.
• Transport the tin covered with cling film or foil, then turn out and dust with icing sugar when you get there.

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 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.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, salt, and lemon zest until mixture just forms a dough.
• Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten each ball into a 5-inch disk, then wrap each in wax paper and chill 30 minutes.
• Stir together preserves, lemon juice, and extract in a small bowl.
• Roll out thicker piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round. Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Peel off paper and fit dough into pan, trimming side to 1/4 inch below top of rim. Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips. Slide strips on wax paper onto a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Spread apricot filling in tart shell and arrange 5 strips across filling (about 1 inch apart), trimming excess dough at ends of strips. Arrange remaining 5 strips on top (about 1 inch apart) to form a lattice (do not weave), trimming ends. Press ends onto edge of tart shell and bake crostata in middle of oven until golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack.

FRENCH STYLE APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C degrees.
• Lay pie crust on pie plate and punch with a fork.
• In a medium bowl beat eggs and sugar. Add almonds, coconut then cream.
• Pour the just-made mix onto the pie crust.
• Add apricots (without syrup). Lay them out on bent side.
• Bake at 180 C for about 40-45 minutes.
• Options: You can easily adapt this recipe, replacing apricots by peaches and/or pears as well as mixing the different fruits. You may also replace the grounded almonds by the coconut and vice-versa.