Fresh Asparagus and Goat Cheese Cheesecake Tart
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup hazelnut flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
1 large egg
Filling:
2 large eggs
4 ounces goat cheese
6 ounces cream cheese
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp chili powder
Grated zest of one orange
½ cup heavy cream
12-14 spears of the freshest asparagus
Cooking spray
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1) For the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the all-purpose flour, hazelnut flour, sugar and salt to combine. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the processor. Pulse until the butter is incorporated in small pea-size pieces (about 4-5 pulses). Add the egg and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Empty the contents into a medium bowl and squeeze the dough together. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
2) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8” to fit your chosen tart pan with a removable bottom. I use a large rectangular pan. Lightly press the dough into the pan, trim the edges and freeze the shell for ten minutes while your oven heats. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake the shell for 20 minutes, remove the parchment and weights, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the shell (in the pan) to a wire rack.
3) Filling: Back in the food processor, add the eggs, both cheeses, the sugar, sea salt, chili powder and orange zest. Process until smooth. Add the heavy cream and process until smooth again. Spread the cheesecake filling in the slightly cooled shell. Snap the asparagus spears and lay over the filling in a decorative pattern. Lightly spray the asparagus with cooking spray and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
4) Place the tart on the center rack of the oven, close the oven door and reduce the heat to 300 degrees. Bake the tart for 20 minutes, until the cheesecake begins to puff and the asparagus are slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let the tart cool on a rack for 20 minutes before slicing.
