Alec Tomasso an aspiring chef who is a contestant in MasterChef UK 2012, sent this recipe for yogurt and raspberry tart to Kitchen Geekery.Alex goes on to write; "I learned the importance of writing recipes on Masterchef. This one I created as an alternative to panna cotta and cheesecake (as I am allergic to cheese), the yogurt gives this dessert a freshness and makes it slightly less calorific –and the topping must surely count as part of your five-a-day!You can substitute the raspberries for your favorite fruit , such as pomegranate. The recipe is deliberately not too sweet, and I find it ideal to round off a rich meal."
Ingredients
for the shortcrust pastry
- 180 g plain flour
- 90 g butter (chilled, cubed)
- 3 tbsp water (chilled)
- 1 mini chocolate eggs (beaten – for eggwash during baking)
for the raspberry jelly
- 200 g raspberries (makes 150ml/5 fl. oz of juice with some left for décor)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 gelatin leaf
for the yogurt panna cotta
- 250 g natural yogurt
- 150 ml double cream
- 50 ml milk
- 1 vanilla pod (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 leaves of gelatin
- ½ lemon (or 1 tbsp. lemon juice)
Instructions
Preparation
- If using vanilla, cut the pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds.
Method
For the tart
- Sift the flour into a bowl, add the butter and combine with your fingers into a fine crumb consistency.
- Add three tablespoons of chilled water and press into a dough – taking care to not overwork it. If the dough is too dry add more water ¼ tsp. at a time to achieve the right consistency.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the raspberry jelly
- Soak the gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blend 200g of raspberries with a tablespoon of sugar. Work the mixture through a strainer with the back of a spoon to remove seeds and measure out 150ml/5fl oz of the juice.
- Heat the juices over a medium-low heat, then add the gelatin leaf and stir thoroughly, making sure it does not boil. As soon as the gelatin has dissolved remove it from the heat and set aside.
- Rub the inside of your tart mold with butter (I used 10in/25cm mold but you can use a smaller one for a thicker tart if you like), dust it with flour – avoid missing any spots or it will stick!
- Roll the pastry out big enough to line your tart mold, and line the mold, leaving some overhang.
- Prick the base with a fork, and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, take the base out of the fridge, cover with baking paper, and fill with baking beans.
- Blind bake this at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for another 20 minutes, then remove the baking beans and baking paper – leave the oven on though as it will be needed again shortly.
- After the base has cooled a little, brush it generously with egg wash, and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes or until nicely golden.
- Remove from oven and leave to cool.
For the yogurt panna cotta
- Soak two gelatin leaves in cold water.
- To a saucepan over a medium-low heat add the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla, and stir them together. As soon as it starts simmering, remove from the heat.
- Take the leaves of gelatin out of the water and add them to the cream mixture – stirring in thoroughly. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Pass the mixture through a strainer into a bowl, add the yogurt, and combine thoroughly (I used a hand whisk).
- Add the juice from the lemon to taste (I used 1 tbsp.), and combine thoroughly and set aside.
To assemble
- Cut off any excess pastry round the edges of the cooled case; fill the case a little shy of the top with the yogurt mixture. To get a flat finish tap the case gently, then leave to set in the fridge.
- Once the yogurt base has set, you need the cooled raspberry jelly. If the jelly has set, gently heat it again before using. Pour the cooled raspberry mixture onto a spoon close to the surface of the tart to make sure it doesn't sink into the yogurt.
- Cover the whole surface of the tart with the raspberry jelly of the tart, decorate with a few raspberry halves, and return to the refrigerator to set.
- For a smooth finish, wet the knife and shake dry before cutting.
