The ricotta and red currant tart is a dessert with a crumbly shell and creamy interior, interspersed with lots of succulent currants, which give that right touch of acidity.
I prepared the pastry with a portion of whole wheat flour, to give it a rustic touch. I find that tarts with a nice buttery shell and cheesecake-style interior are a real guilty pleasure that deserves to be savored to the last crumb. If it’s not currant season, you can also use raspberries to make it. Strawberries or blueberries can also be used, although I find it much tastier with tart fruits, so you can even use mixed frozen berries if they’re out of season. In that case, lay them on the cream without defrosting them first, but directly from frozen. Then cover with pieces of pastry and bake immediately.
If you like currants, also try these recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 10 slices
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 oz butter
- as needed heavy cream (2-3 tablespoons)
- 10 1/2 oz red currants
- 8 3/4 oz ricotta
- 7 oz mascarpone
- 7 oz sour cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- as needed powdered sugar
Steps
To prepare the dough for the ricotta and currant cake, place the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cold butter pieces in the mixer. Start the mixer until you get a crumbly mixture. Transfer everything to the work surface, add 2 tablespoons of cream and knead briefly until you get a homogeneous dough. If necessary, add another splash of cream.
Form a block with the dough, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight if desired.
Wash the currants, drain well, then strip them by running the tines of a fork over the stems. Set aside.
In a bowl, place the ricotta, mascarpone, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs, and cornstarch. Mix well until you get a smooth mixture.
When the dough has rested enough, cut about two-thirds and place the rest in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350°F (fan).
Line the bottom and sides of a tart pan (22-24 cm) with the dough. If you have a small roller, you can place the dough in the pan and roll it out directly inside it, then use your fingers to press it up along the sides. If you don’t have a small roller, roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper with a little flour until its diameter is about 2 inches larger than your pan. Then gently flip the parchment paper onto the pan so that the dough slides inside, and distribute it evenly to cover the bottom and sides.
Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, cover with a sheet of parchment paper, and fill it with ceramic balls or dried legumes to blind bake.
Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the ceramic balls and parchment paper, and fill the precooked base with the mascarpone and ricotta cream. Also, distribute the currants over the cream. Finally, take the rest of the dough from the fridge, cut it into very thin slices, then cut the slices into pieces, and casually cover the surface of the cake.
Bake at 350°F (fan) for another 40 minutes or so, until golden.
Remove your ricotta and currant tart from the oven and let it cool slightly before removing it from the mold. Then let it cool in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting.
To serve your ricotta and currant tart, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into slices.
Tips
If it’s not currant season, you can use raspberries to make it. Strawberries or blueberries can also be used, although I find it much tastier with tart fruits, so you can even use mixed frozen berries if they’re out of season. In that case, lay them on the cream without defrosting them first, but directly from frozen. Then cover with pastry pieces and bake immediately.
