Meyer Lemon Ricotta Tart with a Chocolate Cookie Crust
20 Oreo cookies, including filling, finely crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
grated zest of 4 Meyer Lemons
3/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer Lemon juice (from 5-6 Meyer Lemons)
4 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cook’s Note: The ricotta adds a very subtle grainy texture to the filling, but the texture is very pleasant and the ricotta keeps the filling nice and light. The ricotta can easily be substituted with all cream cheese, or even mascarpone cheese, for a very rich and creamy filling.
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the crushed Oreos with the salt, drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork to combine. Press firmly against the bottom and up 1 ½ inches against the sides of a tart pan with a removable bottom, or a pie pan. Freeze for 10 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Bring a few inches of water to a simmer over medium heat. In a metal heat-proof bowl, whisk together the Meyer lemon zest and juice, eggs and sugar, until very well blended.
Set the bowl over the saucepan. (The bottom of the pan should not be touching the water.) Place an instant read thermometer into the mixture, but don’t rest the thermometer against the bottom of the bowl. Cook the mixture until it thickens and reaches 170 degrees F, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. When it reaches 170, after about 10 minutes, immediately remove from the heat, and pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl to strain out the zest and any bits of cooked egg.
Cover with plastic and cool for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ricotta, cream cheese and heavy cream for 4-5 minutes until thick and smooth. Add the Meyer Lemon mixture and the vanilla and beat until smooth and blended. Pour Meyer lemon cream into the cooled chocolate cookie crust. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight, until set, before removing the sides of the pan and serving.
Yields 8 servings.
WW Points Plus Value: 11 points per serving
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen