Carb Cheese Tart

About

Cheese tarts are an intriguing and strangely satisfying mix between Western and Asian cooking. This Japanese Cheesecake-inspired tart is made with a custard-like cheese filling that blurs the line between sweet and savory. The recipe can serve as a party appetizer, a snack, a light lunch, and even dessert! Don’t knock it until you try it!

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon butter
1 large raw egg
¼ cup almond milk
6 ½ ounce ricotta cheese
½ ounce mozzarella cheese, whole milk
2 tablespoon butter, salted
3 ounce almond milk, vanilla or other flavors, unsweetened
1 tablespoon almond flour
1 package stevia leaf noncaloric sweetener (green packet)
½ teaspoon salt
1 large raw egg

Instructions

Start by making the tart dough. Combine the first amount of almond flour and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Then, cut up the 3 TB of butter into cubes and mix it into the almond flour. The key here is to only mix the butter until it is broken up and you see 1-inch chunks or flakes throughout. Do not mix beyond this point.
Next, mix in the egg. Slowly pour in the cold almond milk while the mixer is on until the dough just comes together. The dough will be very sticky and may not need all the almond milk.
Scoop the tart dough into a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough into a disk and store the tart dough in a fridge to cool and solidify. You MUST have cold dough to continue. You may set the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes for a speedier process, but don’t let the dough freeze. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, second amount of butter and almond milk in a metal or glass bowl.
Set the bowl over a small pot filled with boiling water to create a double-boiler. Cook the ingredients while stirring with a whisk until the are melted and combined into a uniform liquid.
Add in the last of the almond flour, stevia, salt, and egg. Continually whisk the ingredients over a medium heat until the liquid thickens into a custard-like sauce. Then, set this mixture aside to cool. You may cool it in the fridge.
Line a 9-inch pie or tart pan with a circle of parchment paper. When your dough is cold enough to work with, spread it in the pan using your hands. For this part, you may dust your hands with regular all-purpose flour to make spreading the dough easier – this minimal amount of flour will not add nutrition to the recipe. Leave a thicker crust around the edges that is about a ½-inch high. Use a fork to poke ventilation holes in the bottom o the dough, as pictured.
Once the dough is arranged in the pan, set it in the freezer. Frozen dough is important for a flaky, light tart crust. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Once the dough is frozen, arrange a disc of aluminum foil in the center of the dough, leaving the edges exposed. Choose either dry beans or dry rice to place on top of the tin foil. This is a baker’s trick to keep the center of the dough weighed down while the crust rises. The beans or rice will not be a part of the final product! Baked the tart dough for 15 minutes.
After the 15 minutes, remove the foil and beans/rice. You may keep the dried beans or rice for future baking or you may discard them. Pour the cooled cheese filling into the crust. Don’t let the filling overflow.
Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees and place the tart in immediately. Bake the tart for approx. 40 minutes. The crust should be golden, the top should be browned, and the filling should have just a slight wiggle to it without being liquid.
Let the finished tart cool and set before slicing into 8 slices.