With Homemade Lemon Curd and Ginger Snap & Toasted Pecan Crust
The start of summer is right around the corner and what better way to welcome the season than with one of America's classic stone fruits...the PEACH! I have been loving making these ricotta cheesecake tarts and wanted to give it a fresh flavor. I marinated some ripe and juicy peaches in a mixture of molasses, warm spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove), and...of course...butter! I then roasted them in the oven to make them tender and caramelized. Before dressing the tart with them, I spread a layer of homemade lemon curd on top of the fluffy and creamy cheesecake filling to pair the deep notes of the molasses with a sweet pucker.
Lastly, you cannot have a good tart without a tasty crust to hold everything together! I have been reserving the box of Sweetzels Ginger Snaps that they sent me for just such a recipe. Made with real ginger and blackstrap molasses, these cookies were the perfect accompaniment to this tart. And to give it a little extra depth, I toasted up some pecans and mixed them into the crust for a sweet and earthy crunch.
So if you are willing to indulge one more time while you are working on your beach bod, give this tart a go! Those abs need a protective layer of cushion anyway ;P
INGREDIENTS
CRUST: 25-30 Sweetzels Ginger Snaps
½ cup pecans, chopped & toasted
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground clove
LEMON CURD:
3 lemons
1-½ cup granulated sugar
¼ lb unsalted butter, room temp
4 large eggs, room temp
½ cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
⅛ tsp sea salt
ROASTED PEACHES:
4 peaches, pitted & sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp Grandma’s Unsulphured Molasses
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp ground ginger
FILLING:
15 oz part-skim ricotta, well drained
4 oz neufchâtel cheese, room temp & cubed
½ cup heavy whipping cream, room temp
2 large eggs, separated at room temp
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼cup granulated sugar
1-½ tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground clove
GARNISH:
Fresh mint leaves
METHOD
CRUST:
In a food processor, manually pulse about 4 or 5 cookies at a time until small crumbs form. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and repeat to the remaining cookies.
Heat a medium nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add the pecans. Spread the nuts evenly in the pan and allow them to sit for 10 to 15 seconds, then stir again. Keep stirring every 10 to 15 seconds for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the nuts become fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn on any hotspots! Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Allow to cool completely.
Once the pecans are cool, manually pulse them until they are finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the cookie crumbs.
Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove to the cookie crumbs and mix to combine. Stir in the melted butter until well combined and all of the crumbles are moistened.
Transfer the crumbles to a 9-inch tart pan and evenly press into the bottom and up the sides. Place in the refrigerator to allow the crust to firm up.
LEMON CURD:
Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170°F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
NOTE: Feel free to make the lemon curd a day ahead to save time on bake day!
ROASTED PEACHES:
Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the molasses, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger and mix until well combined.
Add the peaches and gently toss to coat evenly. Transfer the peaches to the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer leaving a little room between each slice.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the peaches are tender and caramelized, flipping halfway through.
Remove from heat, set aside, and allow to cool completely.
FILLING:
Keep the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
With a paper towel, remove any excess cookie crumbs from the food processor bowl and blade.
Using a sieve, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Set aside.
Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer and the yolks in the food processor bowl. NOTE: Be careful not to get any yolks in the whites!
Add the sugar and vanilla to the food processor with the egg yolks and process on low until thick and yellow, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta and lemon zest and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. On low speed, add the neufchâtel cheese a few cubes at a time and process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually fold the whites into the ricotta mixture and return to the bowl of the standing mixer.
On medium low speed, mix in the cream and lemon juice. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Remove the crust from the refrigerator and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a large serving spoon, gradually add the ricotta mixture to the crust until just below the edge. Use a small spatula to evenly spread the ricotta mixture.
Fill a 9”x9” baking pan with about ½-inch of water and place on the bottom oven rack. Place the tart on the rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until just set.
Remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature.
Once the tart is room temperature, evenly spread about a ¼-inch layer of lemon curd over the top using a small spatula.
Arrange the roasted peaches in two concentric circles, one larger circle around the edge and another in the middle. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy!
