Preparation time: 30 minutes + 30 minutes chilling
Cooking time: 11/2 hours
Serves: 8-10
Pastry
• 11/2 cups (225g) plain flour
• 1/4 cup (35g) icing sugar mixture
• 125g cold butter, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons iced water
Filling
•750g ricotta
•1/2 cup (120g) mascarpone
or sour cream
•1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
•3 eggs
•1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
Vanilla berries
•500g strawberries
•1 tablespoon caster sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl, add the butter. Rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread-crumbs. Make a well in the centre and add almost all the water. Mix in with a knife, adding more water if necessary, until the dough clumps together. Gather into a ball, and roll out on a sheet of non-stick baking paper to fit a deep pie dish. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Line the pastry with the baking paper, and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper, and bake a further 10-15 minutes, until
the pastry is dry and lightly golden. Cool completely before filling.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. Place all the filling ingredients into a food processor and mix until well combined. Spoon into the pastry shell and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour, until set and lightly golden. Cool to room temperature to serve.
4. For the berries, wash and dry the strawberries, and cut into quarters. Place into a shallow dish, and sprinkle the sugar and vanilla over. Turn to coat, then stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with the tart.