ORANGE RICOTTA TART WITH PRESS IN COOKIE CRUST

Orange Ricotta Tart

Yield: Yields one 9-1/2-inch tart

Servings: twelve.

Ingredients

• 15-oz. container whole-milk ricotta (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
• 1 Tbs. orange-flavored liquer (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau) or orange juice
• 1 Press-In Cookie Crust, baked and cooled (I like vanilla or chocolate wafers for this tart)
• Strips of orange zest or segments of blood orange, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta and cream cheese. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until well blended and no lumps remain, about 3 min. Add the sugar, flour, and salt and continue beating until well blended, about 1 min. Add the egg yolks, orange zest, and orange liqueur. Beat until just incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the filling into the crust and spread the filling evenly.
• Bake the tart until the filling just barely jiggles when the pan is nudged, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate the tart in the pan until chilled and firm, 2 to 3 hours. Serve garnished with strips of orange zest or blood orange segments, if you like.
• Yield: Yields one crust for one 9-1/2-inch tart.

COOKIE CRUST

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely ground cookies (ground in a food processor); choose from one of the following: about 25 chocolate wafers, 8 whole graham crackers, or 35 vanilla wafers
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Have ready an ungreased 9-1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
• In a medium bowl, mix the cookie crumbs and sugar with a fork until well blended. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and mix with the fork or your fingers until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Put the crumbs in the tart pan and use your hands to spread the crumbs so that they coat the bottom of the pan and start to climb the sides. Use your fingers to pinch and press some of the crumbs around the inside edge of the pan to cover the sides evenly and create a wall a scant 1/4 inch thick. Redistribute the remaining crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and press firmly to make a compact layer. (I like to use a metal measuring cup with straight sides and a flat base for this task.)
• Bake the crust until it smells nutty and fragrant (crusts made with lighter-colored cookies will brown slightly), about 10 min. Set the baked crust on a rack and let cool. The crust can be made up to one day ahead of filling, and stored at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic.
• Baking Chocolate Cookie Crumb Crust Desserts And Sweets

Tip

• I prefer Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, Honey Maid Grahams and Nilla Vanilla Wafers for these crusts. If you don’t have a food processor, put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.