Author Notes
I wanted to find a way to incorporate these ingredients into a light dessert. I thought of the classic combination of fruit, cheese, and nuts as a balanced finish to a meal. In the depths of New England winter, this dessert had me dreaming of blue skies and warm Mediterranean beaches. I used French feta, which has a milder and less salty flavor. I also adopted the nut crust from the Joy of Cooking. —student epicure
Ingredients
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1 1/4 cups
walnuts, pulverized into course crumbs in a food processor
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5 tablespoons
melted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
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1/3 cup
sugar
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8 ounces
cream cheese, room temperature
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1/3 cup
sugar
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7.5 ounces
French feta, crumbled
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1
egg, lightly beaten
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4
blood oranges, cut into elegant sections
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1 tablespoon
honey, warmed until liquid
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2 tablespoons
fresh mint, chopped
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, combine walnuts, butter, and sugar with a fork. Press mixture into a 9-inch buttered tart pan (use a pastry brush to grease pan). Bake for about 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. If crust begins into puff, press it down with the back of a spoon. Do not turn off oven.
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In an upright mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar with whisk attachment until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add feta and beat until incorporated. Add in egg and beat just until combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tart has begun to puff just a bit and turn slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool. Once the tart has reached room temperature, place in fridge.
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Just before serving, in a small bowl, combine orange sections, honey, and chopped mint. Gently fold together. Spoon over wedges of the chilled tart and serve!
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