Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
- For the filling:
- 2 cups homemade or 2 1/2 cups store bought ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (You can add more if you want it sweeter.)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream
- For the topping:
- 1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled and cut in half
- 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and dried
- 1 pint raspberries, rinsed and dried
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Sure-Jell for low-sugar recipes (the pink box)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 F.
To make the crust: Whisk graham cracker crumbs and sugar together in a bowl. Stir in melted butter with a fork until well blended. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 13 x 4-inch rectangular or 9-inch round tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or just until the crust starts to color. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the filling: If using homemade ricotta, skip this step. If using store bought ricotta, line a wire mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Put the ricotta into the strainer and let drain in the refrigerator for several hours. The excess liquid will collect in the bowl and the ricotta will become very thick and creamy. Discard the liquid.
Put ricotta into a large mixing bowl with the sugar. Beat the ricotta and sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice and the vanilla. Set aside.
Pour the heavy cream into another bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture until completely combined. Set aside and make the topping.
To make the topping: Select about 6 ounces of the least ripe or attractive strawberries berries, and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Slice the rest of the strawberries in half and set aside in a bowl. Mix the blueberries and raspberries together in another bowl and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Stir in the strawberry puree. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and bring to a full boil. Allow to boil, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent scorching, for 2 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature.
When cooled, toss strawberries with about 1/3 of the glaze, and toss the blueberries and raspberries with the rest.
To assemble the tart: Spoon the ricotta filling into the cooled tart shell and smooth with a spatula. Chill for about 30 minutes to set before adding the fruit topping.
Decoratively place the strawberries on top of the filling around the perimeter of the tart. Gently pile the blueberries and raspberries into the center of the tart. Chill the tart for at least 1 hour before serving.
Serves 8-10.