Pecan-Crusted Yogurt and Berry Breakfast Tart

Each Thursday, Emily Vikre (a.k.a. fiveandspice) will be sharing a new way to love breakfast -- because breakfast isn't just the most important meal of the day. It's also the most awesome.

Today: This fresh berry tart only has five ingredients -- and it's basically a remix of your current granola routine. 

They say that success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. But sometimes you really luck out with your inspiration, and it takes you right where you need to go. So it was with this tart, which I'm feeling awfully pleased about, because it both looks and tastes even better than it did in my mind when I hit upon the idea. That calls for a celebration! With a tart, maybe.

More: Here are some more ideas for nontraditional pie crusts.

I stumbled across a recipe for a pecan tart crust that reminded me of my all-nut granola. I decided to use the crust to take my very quotidian breakfast of granola, yogurt, and berries and play fairy godmother, waving my magic wand to transform a pumpkin into a carriage and a plain breakfast into a lovely tart. 

A dish's presentation has such a big effect on the way we experience it. We eat with our eyes, of course, but presentation also influences the way the textures and flavors hit our palates. What is cooking, really, other than taking a finite set of raw ingredients and presenting them in different ways? Philosophizing aside, somehow the layering of the toasty nuts with the tangy yogurt and the sweet, ripe berries makes the tart taste different from a bowl of nutty granola topped with the same ingredients, somewhat in the way lasagna is different from minestrone or a kebob is different from a stir-fry.  

And did I mention it's really pretty? In my opinion, this tart is healthy enough to be an everyday breakfast -- you can make it ahead, cut yourself a slice in the morning, and then feel very impressed with yourself for several days running. You could also use it to wow a brunch crowd or serve it as an elegant, light summer dessert -- no perspiration required.

Pecan-Crusted Yogurt and Berry Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart

1 1/2 cups raw pecans
1 to 2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small chunks
1 cup (approximately) Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat), or mascarpone cheese
2 pints (or so) fresh raspberries (you could also use other berries, or sliced stone fruit)

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Emily Vikre