Monday, December 25, 2006

Lemon Crostata With Plums and Goat Cheese


This is a tasty little dessert, especially when summertime plums are in full bloom. You could probably substitute for pears, apples or even berries to make it a little different. I got this recipe out of Oprah's magazine.

Here is how you make it. This serves 4

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 stick of cold butter cut in pieces
1 egg yolk lightly beaten
8 small plums, sliced in small slices
4 oz of goat cheese
3 tbsp of honey

blend flour/sugar/zest in mixer until well blended at low speed. Add butter and mix until it resembles a course meal. Drizzle in egg yolk and beat until dough comes together. Take out of bowl and form into a ball and press into a disk and wrap in plastic. Place in fridge for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet (I also sprayed a little pam on it). Roll out dough on the parchment paper into a 10 inch circle. Fold edges over. Put in fridge again for 15 minutes. If dough cracks, just press together.Put cookie sheet with the dough into the oven and bake about 15-20 minutes so that it looks crisp and starting to turn golden brown. Take out of oven. Sprinkle goat cheese over crust and the place the plums in a concentric circle around the top of the tart. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the honey and put back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the plums are starting to soften and crust is fully crisp. Drizzle with remaining honey and let cool. May be served warm or room temperature.