Imagine buttery, flaky crust filled with creamy whipped ricotta cheese and topped with delicate persimmons. Textures and flavors in every bite of this Persimmon Tart.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Add cold, cubed butter and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingers, pastry cutter or food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the egg yolk with. Stir until the dough comes together. If the dough feels too dry, add a tablespoon of water.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer it to a 9-inch tart pan and press it into the edges. Trim any excess dough.
Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom to prevent puffing.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans or sugar. Make sure to push the sugar to the edges. Blind bake the crust for 15-20 minutes at 375F until the edges turn golden.
Remove the weights and parchment paper, then bake for 5 minutes to crisp up the bottom. Set aside to cool.
Drain the ricotta using fine mesh sieve. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Combine the ricotta cheese, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and the beaten egg. Mix until smooth and creamy. You can mix by hand, or I used high-speed blender to make the filling extra smooth.
Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the cooled tart crust.
Chop the pecans and spread them over the ricotta filling. You can also lightly roast them before.
Thinly slice the persimmons and arrange them beautifully on top of the ricotta filling, slightly overlapping the slices in a circular pattern.
Drizzle the persimmons with a little honey for added sweetness and shine.
Return the tart to the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes until the filling is set and the persimmons are tender.
Remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool for about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped pecans for some added crunch and color contrast.
Notes
Chill the dough - once you’ve mixed the crust dough, let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.Blind bake the crust - before you add the ricotta filling so the crust stays crisp and doesn’t get soggy.Whip the ricotta filling - using a food processor whip the ricotta for a light and creamy texture.Use ripe Persimmons - make sure your persimmons are ripe but still firm to slice.