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5 from 1 vote

Lebneh Honey Blueberry Tart with an Almond Cardamom Crust

Ingredients

Lebneh:

  • 2 cups full-fat or Greek yogurt

Almond crust:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 cup almond meal or almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 14 tablespoons 1 3/4 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk

Filling:

  • 3 tablespoons of good-quality honey I used wildflower
  • Pinch of fine-grain sea salt
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 naval or valencia orange

Instructions

Lebneh (Time: 24-48 hours):

  • Line a strainer or sieve with a few layers of cheese cloth. Suspend the strainer over a bowl (my strainer has hooks on the end so it works pretty well), being sure it doesn't rest at the bottom of the bowl (you don't want the lebneh to be sitting in the whey). Cover the yogurt and bowl with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator to drain for at least 24 hours (a few days is awesome too, it'll just result in thicker lebneh). After it's drained, discard the whey and set the lebneh aside.

Almond crust:

  • In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cardamom and salt.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and confectioners' sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until well combined, about 4 minutes.
  • Mix in the egg and then the yolk, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. In two additions, add the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
  • Turn out the dough onto a clean lightly floured work surface. Divide it in half, shape into flattened disks, and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.)
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally flour your work surface and rolling pin. Remove one of the discs from the refrigerator and place on the counter. If the crust is too cold to roll out, allow it to come to room temperature, slightly, for about 10 minutes. Roll the crust out, being sure to turn it every so often so it doesn't stick to the counter (this dough is a bit sticky), and adding more flour for dusting, when needed. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer it to a 14 x 4-inch tart pan (alternatively you could use a 9-inch tart pan). If the dough falls apart a bit, not to worry. Take the scraps and press it into the dough, sealing any cracks or holes, and then trimming the overhang. Using a fork, score the bottom of the tart crust. Transfer it to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. Line the tart with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or pennies. Transfer to the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until tart crust is lightly golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

To assemble the tart:

  • In a medium bowl, mix together the lebneh, honey and sea salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. (At first the mixture will appear striated with the honey but it'll eventually come together - keep mixing!) Pour the lebneh mixture into the tart crust and spread evenly. Arrange the blueberries to your liking - I went with the four blueberries per row. There's no wrong way!
  • Just before serving, microplane orange zest over the entire tart.

Almond Sable Tart crust adapted from Karen Demasco (her book is a winner!)