Vanilla Ricotta Tart

I made this for thanksgiving this year, and it was a huge hit. It's incredibly light, deliciously creamy and so, so pretty, thanks to the flecks of vanilla bean in the ricotta mixture, the buttery, golden brown crust on the bottom (not pictured) and the sugared fruit piled on top. Imagine a cheesecake but lighter and more delicate, both in appearance and in flavor. This tart is also (believe it or not) very easy to make. Just be sure that you allow the tart shell to completely cool before filling it with the cheese mixture. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

tart shell:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into peices
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp water

filling:
4 oz low fat cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups part skim ricotta cheese
3 egg whites
1 vanilla bean, hull discarded

sugared fruit:
raspberries, blackberries, strawberries (or whatever else you'd like!)
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

for the shell:
preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 11" tart pan
in the food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt
add butter pieces and pulse
add yolk, vanilla and water, and pulse until dough forms a ball
press dough into pan (flour your hands if dough is sticky)
*I attempted to press the dough up the sides of the tart pan, but it came out of the 
  oven entirely flat. If you want sides to your crust, don't use this recipe!
chill for half an hour
prick tart with a fork (important!) and bake for 18-20 minutes
cool completely

for the filling:
beat cream cheese, sugar and ricotta until smooth
add in egg whites and vanilla seeds and beat until combined
pour into cooled tart shell and bake for 20 minutes

for the sugared fruit:
dip fruit in egg whites, then dip in sugar
(may have to dip more than once - sugar will dissolve)
allow to dry completely


10-12 servings