Orange Cardamom Ricotta Tart
Winter means beautiful citrus season and in our garden we have gorgeous orange and lemon trees. I love creating lemon curd, orange syrup cakes, lemon and olive oil ice cream, and even this delicious orange cardamom ricotta tart. This tart is light, simple and could be served as is, with a dust of icing sugar or with thin slices of orange, simmered in a light sugar syrup until tender. Whatever topping you choose will be perfect and I assure you there’ll be no leftovers!
Ingredients:
Shortcrust Pastry
125g unsalted butter
95g pure icing sugar
1 egg
20g almond meal
250g plain flour
Pinch salt
½ tsp vanilla essence
Filling
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
70g caster sugar
500g ricotta
1 tsp vanilla
1 large orange, zest
1 tsp cardamom, ground
Topping
2 oranges, juiced and strained
100g caster sugar
1 orange, zest
¼ tsp cardamom
50ml water
Orange, 5-6 slices thinly sliced
Method:
Grease a 10-12inch tart tin with a removable base and then line the base.
Using a paddle attachment in a stand mixer, cream icing sugar, vanilla and butter until just mixed.
Add egg and fold in the sifted flour and salt. Incorporate well but do not over-mix.
Take pastry from mixer bowl and roll in-between 2 sheets of baking paper until you’ve rolled to desired thickness, approx. 3-4mm and refrigerate approx. 10-15min
Once rested line tart tin, cut excess pastry, gently indent base with a fork 4-5 times. Rest in freezer approx. 15min.
Preheat oven to 175C.
To blind bake, cover insert of tart with baking paper and fill with baking beans/rice, bake for 20min.
Without turning the oven off, remove the baking paper and beans/rice from the tart shell and bake for further 5-10min or until light golden brown. Set aside to create the ricotta filling.
In a mixing bowl cream egg and sugar until pale in colour. Add the ricotta, vanilla, orange zest and cardamom then mix until combined.
Pour ricotta filling into tart shell and bake for approx 30min.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, create the orange syrup. Zest one orange and place aside. Juice the two oranges and strain to remove any pulp. Combine orange juice, caster sugar, zest, cardamom and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring for a few minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Occasionally brush down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, boil approx. 3 minutes. Then simmer, add sliced oranges and continue boiling until oranges are tender and a syrup forms.
Pour and spread the syrup over the tart then place sliced oranges on top to decorate. Optional - add extra orange zest over the top.
Enjoy!
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