Cheesecake with Prunes

Name: Cheesecake with Prunes
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes One 10" Tart
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. salt; 1 Tbsp. sugar; 11 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces; 16 pitted prunes; 1 ⁄ 4 cup armagnac; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; 3 ⁄ 4 cup sugar; 3 1 ⁄ 4 cups fromage blanc; 3 ⁄ 4 cup crème fraîche

Serves
makes One 10" Tart

SAVEUR EDITORS

This dessert was adapted from a recipe in Patricia Wells's Bistro Cooking (Workman, 1989).

Ingredients

For the Pastry

2 cups flour
¹⁄₂ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
11 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

For the Filling

16 pitted prunes
¹⁄₄ cup armagnac
3 eggs, lightly beaten
³⁄₄ cup sugar
3 ¹⁄₄ cups fromage blanc
³⁄₄ cup crème fraîche

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Instructions

Step 1

Sift together flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Mix in enough cold water, 3–5 tbsp., so that dough holds together. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 375°. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 14'' round. Transfer to a deep 10'' pie pan, crimp edges, then prick bottom with a fork. Cover with foil, and chill for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, place prunes in a medium bowl, add armagnac, and set aside for 1 hour. Without removing foil, fill tart with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake until crust is golden, about 10 minutes longer. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven to 325°.

Step 4

Beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl. Add fromage blanc and crème fraîche and whisk until smooth. Drain prunes. Cut 8 into quarters, and the rest in half.

Step 5

Place quartered prunes in tart shell, cover with cheese mixture, then top with halved prunes. Bake until an inserted knife can be removed cleanly, 50 minutes. Cool, then serve.

Sift together flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Mix in enough cold water, 3–5 tbsp., so that dough holds together. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 14'' round. Transfer to a deep 10'' pie pan, crimp edges, then prick bottom with a fork. Cover with foil, and chill for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place prunes in a medium bowl, add armagnac, and set aside for 1 hour. Without removing foil, fill tart with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake until crust is golden, about 10 minutes longer. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven to 325°.
Beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl. Add fromage blanc and crème fraîche and whisk until smooth. Drain prunes. Cut 8 into quarters, and the rest in half.
Place quartered prunes in tart shell, cover with cheese mixture, then top with halved prunes. Bake until an inserted knife can be removed cleanly, 50 minutes. Cool, then serve.