Summer berry, mahlab and ricotta tart recipe

“The fruits are interchangeable here – strawberries, blueberries, even gooseberries, would be a welcome addition to this tart. Mahlab is the dried pit of a particular wild cherry, and offers the nutty, stone fruit twang of amaretto liqueur and Bakewell tarts. It is widely available online – just make sure you buy it ready-ground.”

Prep time: 40 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling | Cooking time: 55 minutes

SERVES

10 to 12

INGREDIENTS

For the fruit filling

• 250g raspberries

• 250g blackberries

• 75g caster sugar

• 1 tbsp ground mahlab (optional)

For the pastry

• 180g unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 75g caster sugar

• 1 large egg

• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

• ½ tsp fine salt

• 1 large egg, beaten, to glaze

For the ricotta filling

• 500g ricotta

• 100g caster sugar

• 2 large eggs

METHOD

1. Put the berries into a medium saucepan with the sugar – you don’t need to add any extra liquid because the sugar will draw the juice out of the berries. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the fruit from burning until you have a thick, pulpy sauce – about 10 minutes. Stir in the mahlab, if using. Allow to cool completely.

2. Put the butter and sugar for the pastry into the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or use a hand-held electric beater, or a wooden spoon and elbow grease) and beat with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy.

3. Add the egg gradually and allow it to incorporate fully into the butter. The egg may curdle with the butter at this stage – this isn’t ideal, but it won’t ruin the pastry so carry on regardless.

4. Throw in the flour and salt and beat, but just until it all comes together into a smooth paste. Scrape the paste on to a piece of cling film, flatten into a disc, and wrap up. The paste will be very sticky. Refrigerate for an hour.

5. When the pastry has chilled, remove it from the fridge and beat it with a rolling pin to warm it slightly. Take half of the pastry and roll it into a thin disc that is a little larger than a 25cm loose-bottom fluted tart tin. Use it to line the tin, ensuring you tuck the pastry right down into the corners and press it into the fluted edges.

6. Fold any surplus over the edge of the tin, then roll your rolling pin over the top from bottom to top, then side to side, cutting away the surplus pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork.

7. Roll the other half of pastry into a square that is just larger than the tart tin. Cut this square into 12 even strips – put these on to a baking sheet and pop them into the fridge to keep cool.

8. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and place a baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven.

9. Put the cooled fruit filling into an even layer in the pastry case – it’s helpful to smooth it out with the back of a spoon.

10. In a mixing bowl beat together the ricotta, sugar and eggs until smooth. Blob this mixture on top of the fruit filling, then carefully spread it out with the back of a spoon into an even layer, concealing all of the fruit.

11. Carefully lay the strips of pastry on top of the ricotta filling in a lattice pattern, trimming away the surplus as necessary.

12. Glaze the pastry well with the beaten egg, then pop the tart on to the preheated baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the pastry is deeply browned and the ricotta filling is puffed up and just ever so slightly golden.

Recipe from Comfort by John Whaite (Kyle Books, £19.99). Order a copy from books.telegraph.co.uk.