FRENCH COTTAGE CHEESE TART FOR SHAVUOT This tasty French cheesecake is based on a cheese tart from Auvergne in central France, where it is made from a “country cheese” resembling cottage cheese. You can bake it a day in advance; keep it in the refrigerator.This tart is easier to prepare than most because it is a country-style tart, and there is no need to bake its pastry shell separately. To help make the pastry base crisp, the tart in its pan is baked on a hot baking sheet.Pastry for Sweet Tarts (see recipe below) 11⁄2 cups cottage cheese 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche, or some of each 6 Tbsp. sugar (80 gr. or about 3 oz.) 1 Tbsp. flour 2 large eggs grated zest of 1 large lemon few drops of lemon juicePrepare pastry and refrigerate until firm.Butter a 23- to 26-cm. (about 9 to 10-in.) tart or pie pan, about 3 cm. (11⁄4 in.) high.Let dough soften a few minutes before rolling it. Tap it several times with rolling pin if it is too firm. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until about 6 mm. (1⁄4 in.) thick. Roll up dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll it over pan.Gently ease the dough into pan. Using your thumb, gently push dough down slightly at edge of pan, making top edge of rim thicker than remaining dough. If using a tart pan, roll rolling pin across pan to cut off dough on the pan’s edges; if using a pie pan, cut off the edges with a knife. With your finger and thumb, press to push up edge of dough around pan, so it is slightly higher than rim of pan, or crimp edges of dough.Chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator or 15 minutes in freezer, or until dough is firm; or cover the tart shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF) and heat a baking sheet in oven.To make the filling, mix the cheese with the sour cream. Stir in sugar and flour. Stir in eggs one by one. Stir in half the grated lemon zest, reserving the rest to sprinkle on top. Stir in the lemon juice.Lightly prick the dough in the pan with a fork. Set pastry shell in its tart pan on hot baking sheet in the oven. Carefully pour filling into shell and sprinkle with remaining grated lemon zest. (If it’s more convenient for you, you can first fill the tart and then set the filled tart on the hot baking sheet.)Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry begins to turn golden at edges. Reduce oven temperature to 160ºC (325ºF) and bake for 20 more minutes or until filling sets. Turn off oven and let tart cool in oven for 1 hour. Then remove tart and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Serve cold.Makes 6 to 8 servingsPASTRY FOR SWEET TARTS This slightly sweet pastry is delicious and takes only a few minutes to make in a food processor. To make the dough easy to roll, refrigerate it before rolling it out. If you have extra dough, you can bake cookies from it.1 large egg12⁄3 cups all-purpose flourpinch of salt6 Tbsp. sugar (80 gr. or about 3 oz.)100 gr. (31⁄2 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into bitsgrated zest of 1⁄2 lemonfew drops lemon juiceBeat egg in a small bowl. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Process briefly to blend. Scatter butter pieces over mixture. Process with on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.Pour egg mixture evenly over mixture in processor. Add grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Process with on/off turns, scraping down occasionally, until dough forms sticky crumbs that can easily be pressed together but does not come together in a ball. If crumbs are dry, sprinkle 1 tsp. water and process with on/off turns until dough forms sticky crumbs. Add more water by teaspoons if crumbs are still dry, and process briefly each time.With a rubber spatula, transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap it and push it together. Shape dough in a flat disc. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to be rolled; or you can refrigerate it up to 2 days.Makes enough for a 23- to 26-cm (about 9- to 10- inch) tart shell.
Exploring cheesecakes
A look at varieties of this delicious dessert from countries around the Mediterranean.
FRENCH COTTAGE CHEESE TART FOR SHAVUOT This tasty French cheesecake is based on a cheese tart from Auvergne in central France, where it is made from a “country cheese” resembling cottage cheese. You can bake it a day in advance; keep it in the refrigerator.This tart is easier to prepare than most because it is a country-style tart, and there is no need to bake its pastry shell separately. To help make the pastry base crisp, the tart in its pan is baked on a hot baking sheet.Pastry for Sweet Tarts (see recipe below) 11⁄2 cups cottage cheese 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche, or some of each 6 Tbsp. sugar (80 gr. or about 3 oz.) 1 Tbsp. flour 2 large eggs grated zest of 1 large lemon few drops of lemon juicePrepare pastry and refrigerate until firm.Butter a 23- to 26-cm. (about 9 to 10-in.) tart or pie pan, about 3 cm. (11⁄4 in.) high.Let dough soften a few minutes before rolling it. Tap it several times with rolling pin if it is too firm. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until about 6 mm. (1⁄4 in.) thick. Roll up dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll it over pan.Gently ease the dough into pan. Using your thumb, gently push dough down slightly at edge of pan, making top edge of rim thicker than remaining dough. If using a tart pan, roll rolling pin across pan to cut off dough on the pan’s edges; if using a pie pan, cut off the edges with a knife. With your finger and thumb, press to push up edge of dough around pan, so it is slightly higher than rim of pan, or crimp edges of dough.Chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator or 15 minutes in freezer, or until dough is firm; or cover the tart shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF) and heat a baking sheet in oven.To make the filling, mix the cheese with the sour cream. Stir in sugar and flour. Stir in eggs one by one. Stir in half the grated lemon zest, reserving the rest to sprinkle on top. Stir in the lemon juice.Lightly prick the dough in the pan with a fork. Set pastry shell in its tart pan on hot baking sheet in the oven. Carefully pour filling into shell and sprinkle with remaining grated lemon zest. (If it’s more convenient for you, you can first fill the tart and then set the filled tart on the hot baking sheet.)Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry begins to turn golden at edges. Reduce oven temperature to 160ºC (325ºF) and bake for 20 more minutes or until filling sets. Turn off oven and let tart cool in oven for 1 hour. Then remove tart and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Serve cold.Makes 6 to 8 servingsPASTRY FOR SWEET TARTS This slightly sweet pastry is delicious and takes only a few minutes to make in a food processor. To make the dough easy to roll, refrigerate it before rolling it out. If you have extra dough, you can bake cookies from it.1 large egg12⁄3 cups all-purpose flourpinch of salt6 Tbsp. sugar (80 gr. or about 3 oz.)100 gr. (31⁄2 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into bitsgrated zest of 1⁄2 lemonfew drops lemon juiceBeat egg in a small bowl. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Process briefly to blend. Scatter butter pieces over mixture. Process with on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.Pour egg mixture evenly over mixture in processor. Add grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Process with on/off turns, scraping down occasionally, until dough forms sticky crumbs that can easily be pressed together but does not come together in a ball. If crumbs are dry, sprinkle 1 tsp. water and process with on/off turns until dough forms sticky crumbs. Add more water by teaspoons if crumbs are still dry, and process briefly each time.With a rubber spatula, transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap it and push it together. Shape dough in a flat disc. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to be rolled; or you can refrigerate it up to 2 days.Makes enough for a 23- to 26-cm (about 9- to 10- inch) tart shell.