Baked Yogurt Tart

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 Originally made with "labneh" - which is a thick strained yogurt, we substituted a plain Greek strained yogurt.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.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

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

Heat oven to 350°.
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.
Using a fork, prick dough all over.
Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake until pale golden, 13–15 minutes.
Remove paper and weights and bake until golden brown, 8–10 minutes more; let cool.

Make the filling

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