Yorkshire Curd Tart using Cottage Cheese (2024)

For the Pastry

• 200 grams plain flour
• Pinch of Salt
• 100 grams unsalted butter very cold and cut into cubes
• 50 grams cold water

For the Filling

• 50 grams butter
• 50 grams caster sugar
• 400 grams natural cottage cheese or fresh curd
• 2 medium eggs
• 50 grams currants
• Pinch grated Nutmeg plus extra for dusting
• Zest of half a lemon

Egg Wash

• 1 medium egg
• a splash of water or milk

Make the Pastry

• Rub the butter and flour together with your fingertips until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency. For the very best results, use a food processor.

• Add the water around the edge of the food processor and blitz until you have a smooth pastry dough.

• Flatten the dough and wrap in cling film. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Or keep in the fridge overnight to use the next day. This allows the pastry to settle, making it much easier to handle when it comes to lining the tart tin.

• Preheat the oven to 200 deg (fan) Use an oven thermometer to check the correct temperature.

• Lightly grease the sides and base of a 20cm/8” loose bottomed cake tin about 3cm/1ins deep.

• Take the pastry dough out of the fridge and roll between 2 sheets of baking parchment

• Roll the pastry from the centre outwards turning everything in short circular turns as you go until you have a circle that is about 14 inch/36 cm across in diameter allowing for plenty to overlap your tart tin.

• Top Tip: If your pastry starts to get a little too warm and sticky while rolling, place the whole thing, parchment included, onto a baking sheet, and return to the fridge for 10 minutes or so to firm up a little.

• When you have rolled the pastry out to the correct size and thickness, remove the top sheet of parchment. Invert and place the sheet of pastry dough over the tart tin. Remove the bottom sheet of parchment.

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• Carefully line the tart tin by lifting and dropping the pastry onto the base and into the sides of tin. Plenty of overlap will allow for shrinkage.

• Cut away any excess pastry and use a wad of this with a little flour to pat the pastry into the sides.

• Cover the pastry with a sheet of cling film to help prevent it drying out, and return it back to the fridge to chill for at least 15 mins. Or you can leave in the fridge overnight to bake the next day.

Blind Baking

• Take the raw pastry tart out for the fridge and carefully prick the base of the pastry dough with a fork. Taking care not to pierce the bottom. Line the pastry case with scrunched up baking parchment, or oven safe Industrial Cling Film. DO NOT USE ordinary cling film from the supermarket which will melt.

• Fill with plenty of dried rice or dried beans up to the top. This will help keep the pastry in place during baking. Fold the cling film over the beans to keep them in place.

• Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 mins by this time the pastry should be dry and semi baked. If not, return to the oven with the baking beans for a further 5 mins.

• Remove the baking beans and parchment/cling film and return to the oven for a further 5 mins. The pastry should look dry and ever so slightly golden in colour.

• To make the egg wash, thoroughly mix the egg with a splash of water or milk.

• Take the baked pastry case out of the oven and coat the base and sides with a very light egg wash. Return to the oven for 1 min to dry off the egg wash.

• Take out of the oven and while still warm, using a serrated knife, slice off any excess pastry that is hanging over the sides. Working from the inside of the pastry case to the outside helps prevent any pastry from breaking away as the tin acts as a support while you cut.

• Turn the oven down to 190 deg.

Make the Curd Tart Filling

• Melt the butter in a medium pan, take off the heat and add the sugar, cottage cheese, eggs, currants, nutmeg and Lemon zest. Mix until well combined.

• Fill the Pastry Case with the curd mixture and dust the filling with grated Nutmeg. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 – 30 mins or until the filling is just set.

• Leave in the tin to cool completely before slicing.

If you need help in making the pastry, follow these step by step instructions on how to make the Shortcrust Pastry case.

Use industrial catering cling film when blind baking. The kind you buy from the supermarket can generally melt. The tart will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can make up the pastry tart and leave it covered in the fridge overnight and bake the following day.