Baked Yogurt Tart

 Sometimes the simplest things are the most elegant and satisfying. This almost-custard yogurt tart is one example. Strained yogurt, a little sugar, vanilla and some eggs are all there is to it, but the resulting marriage of the rich egg and yogurt flavors along with the sweetness of the sugar, all tied up in the aroma and taste of  high quality vanilla is captivating.

Everyone expresses their approval with lots of “mmmm” sounds, not wanting to waste time or attention in talking. That’s when you know you’ve got something special!

Fresh eggs from your backyard chickens, ducks or geese will really make this memorable!

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Baked Yogurt Tart

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This incredibly simple but superbly delicious vanilla-spiked tart is very close to a custard, but made with strained yogurt. Originally made with "labneh" - which is a thick strained yogurt, we substituted a plain Greek strained yogurt. We dressed it up with fresh organic whipped cream and some fresh strawberries. It is lightly sweet, creamy and very satisfying! We used one goose egg in place of the 3 eggs, making it a bit richer. Another alternative is duck eggs, which also have a larger yolk than chicken eggs.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter melted
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING

• 1 lb. labneh
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs

Instructions

Make the crust

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir in butter and vanilla until dough forms; press into bottom and up sides of a 9" Springform pan.
3. Using a fork, prick dough all over.
4. Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake until pale golden, 13–15 minutes.
5. Remove paper and weights and bake until golden brown, 8–10 minutes more; let cool.

Make the filling

1. Lower oven to 300°.
2. Whisk labneh, sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs in a bowl until smooth; pour filling into crust.
3. Bake until just set in the center, about 20 minutes.
4. Let cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

Make sure to use the highest quality vanilla extract, as it really will make this dessert! We have used and have fallen in love with Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla bean paste from King Arthur Flour. It is absolutely scrumptious with a great aroma and delicate flavor that is wonderful.
If you are pressed for time, substitute a prepared pie crust. Then the time needed to make this is about 10 minutes of prep and the 20 minutes of baking.

Adapted from Saveur Magazine #163

The goose egg will fill my hand, while I can hold 3 or 4 of the chicken eggs!

Since I had the Kamado grill going, I just baked the tart on the grill with a heat diffuser underneath. The tart is almost ready here! It had just finished rising and had about 5 minutes to finish firming up.

After it sat for about 30 minutes, this is what greeted us:

And of course, the final glamor shot – ready to wow guests and birthday wife!