Fresh Cherry Apricot Tart

When you think of food for Hanukkah, you think of latkes. Passover? Matzo balls. Shavuot? Shavuot is all about dairy products - cheese borekas, cheese blintzes, cheese danishes, and most importantly and quintessentially: cheesecake.

I grew up hating cheesecake. I always thought it was too dense, and too often topped with horrible gloopy, canned, and not-good-tasting cherries. Then I tried my stepmother’s cheesecake, and it was unlike any other I had ever had. It was delicate with a light crust, and it had a thin layer of a cheesecake-like mixture that got topped with loads of fresh raspberries. It wasn’t too rich or too sweet, and the fresh fruit was the perfect compliment to the creamy filling.

Inspired by her’s, this recipe is akin to a no-bake cheesecake that you can top with any seasonal stone fruit or berry. Cherry season is short, and I want to take advantage of every second of it. Apricots pop up at the same time at the market, and both fruits are sweet and tart, complimentary in color, and equally complimentary in taste. I keep the fruit fresh on this tart, which also makes this dessert simple to put together, and easy to whip up in advance.

A few notes: the no-bake filling means that this is looser than any kind of traditional cheesecake. If you really want to use cherries and they’re not available, thawed frozen ones will work. I use vanilla bean in both the filling and to macerate the fruit; the vanilla flavor is more pronounced when the seeds come scraped out of the bean, but you can substitute with good quality vanilla extract instead. Also, I use Luxardo (Italian cherry liqueur) in both the filling and to macerate the fruit. It adds a note of complexity and booziness, and enhances the natural flavors in the cherries and apricots. If you don’t have a cherry liqueur or brandy on hand, you can substitute with other liqueurs (Amaretto, Cointreau, Chambord) or even a good bourbon. A splash of almond extract could work well, too. You can also skip that step entirely and the fruit and filling will still taste delicious.

Fresh Cherry & Apricot Tart

Serves 8-10

for the crust-

1½ cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full sheet rectangular graham crackers)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

for the filling-

1 8 oz. bar (225g) cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup sugar

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup sour cream

½ a vanilla bean, seeds scraped out (or 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract)

3 tablespoons Luxardo or Kirsch (optional)

for the fruit topping-

1 lb. (450g) cherries, pitted (thawed if frozen)

2 medium apricots, pitted and sliced thin (thawed if frozen)

½ a vanilla bean, seeds scraped out (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

2 tablespoons Luxardo or Kirsch (optional)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

for the crust-

Preheat the oven to 350°F. (You can also skip baking the graham cracker crust - it will set well enough when it is refrigerated).

Generously grease a 10”-12” tart pan, or you can use a pie dish or something similar. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and grease the top of the paper.

Using a food processor, or a sealable bag and a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers until they resemble a coarse flour. In the food processor or in a bowl, add the melted butter, sugar, and salt and pulse (or mix) until just combined. Press the mixture into the greased pan. You can press and smooth the crust evenly by using the back of a flat glass or measuring cup.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Allow to fully cool; the crust can be made up to a day in advance. Once cooled cover and reserve.

For the filling-

Using an electric stand or handheld mixer, cream together the room temperature cream cheese with the sugar. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, and Luxardo (if using) and beat until it is completely smooth and slightly airy. Make sure to periodically scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure there are no lumps in the mixture.

Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Even out the filling in the crust with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight to firm up.

For the fruit topping-

At least one hour or more before serving, prepare the fruit topping for the tart.

Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter, or by slicing the cherries in half and removing the pits. Halve and pit the apricots, and slice thin lengthwise. If using frozen fruit, make sure it is fully thawed.

In a bowl, combine the cherries and apricots with the vanilla bean, sugar, Luxardo, and lemon juice. Toss gently and allow the fruit to macerate.

Top the chilled tart with the fruit and serve.

Any leftover tart can be stored covered in the fridge; it will still be delicious the next day.

Savory Hamantaschen - Leek, Fig and Cambozola

Hamantaschen. Triangular. Filled with stuff. Made for Purim. Meant to resemble Book of Esther’s Haman. Also maybe meant to resemble aforementioned defeated enemy’s ears (in Israel Hamantaschen are called “Oznei Haman” - translation from Hebrew: Haman’s ears). Whatever they are, they are defined by their shape. There are endless variations on their dough, their size, their flavors, and their fillings.

This year, like many other years, I continue to explore the possibilities of what Hamantaschen can be. I experiment with the dough. Egg or no egg? Butter or margarine? Sweet or savory? Traditional fillings or crazy fillings? I'm still seeking my perfect version of a sweet, not-too floury dough (this one comes close), but I am increasingly happy to eat a pastry that is a little more savory. While it has a note of sweetness, this hamantaschen is more appetizer than dessert. The dough is the same used in flaky pie dough or crostatas, the filing has leeks, fig preserves and Cambazola cheese. The result is salty, sweet, and rich.

As a cautionary note, the impulse may be to fill these generously with your filling; exert restraint, it will seem like too little but any more will cause the cookie to overflow or taste too filling-heavy. Another cautionary note, make sure to really pinch shut the edges of each hamantaschen. These tricky guys like to unravel in the oven any chance they get.

Savory Leek, Fig, and Cambozola Hamantaschen

Makes approximately 20

for the dough-

2½ cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cold

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, cold

6-8 tablespoons ice cold water

1 egg, beaten for the egg wash

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the filling-

2 large leeks, diced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼-½ teaspoon fig preserves per hamantaschen

½ teaspoon Cambozola or creamy blue cheese per hamantaschen

for the dough-

In a food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times. Add the cold cubed butter. Pulse until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs of butter and flour. (If doing by hand, using a pastry cutter combine the dry ingredients with the butter until pea-sized balls form).

To the food processor add the apple cider vinegar, and the ice water a few tablespoons at a time. Pulse until the mixture comes together in a ball. If the dough doesn’t stick together easily between your fingers, add another tablespoon of water. When it is done, the dough will be slightly crumbly but will easily form into a ball. Form the finished dough into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerated for 2-3 hours or overnight.

for the filling-

Clean and dice the leeks. To a skillet over medium low heat, add the butter. Add the leeks to the pan and season them with salt. Sauté until the leeks are soft and starting to caramelize (turning golden but not crispy and browned), about 10-15 minutes

to assemble your hamantaschen-

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Flour your surface and rolling pin lightly. Roll out the dough until about ¼-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit, cookie cutter, or even a drinking glass, cut out rounds from the dough. Fill each round with ½ a teaspoon of the leek mixture, ½ a teaspoon of fig preserves, and ½ a teaspoon of cambozola blue cheese. Fold over one third of the round onto the filling, fold over a second third, and fold over the last third. With each third, gently pinch and seal the edges of the dough firmly together, forming a well-secured triangle-shaped pastry. Transfer the hamantaschen onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure there is at least an inch between each pastry. You can re-roll the remaining dough and form more hamantaschen.

In a small dish, beat an egg. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Top with freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Bake the hamantaschen for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.

Once baked, transfer to a rack to fully cool. Serve at room temperature. The hamantaschen can be stored in an air-tight container for several days, if they last that long.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart

Whether you're looking to make a substantial vegetarian dish for your Thanksgiving table, or whether you just love making savory tarts any time of year, this recipe is super easy, delicious, and endlessly modifiable.

Yes, it uses store bought puff pastry. In terms of pre-made things, puff pastry and phyllo dough are two of things I prefer to buy already made. They're complicated and time consuming pastry to make at home, and there are excellent versions of both at the market.

In the picture above I made the tart without egg and creme fraiche/sour cream. The egg and cream will bind the mushrooms a little better, but frankly, I didn't mind it with the mushrooms coming apart a bit. It tasted more mushroomy. If you do use the egg binder, then make sure you're mixture isn't too wet or your tart will get soggy.

If you're not a mushroom fan, you can take the same principles for making this tart, and make it with a combination of any other kind of filling: roasted squash and fennel, sautéed zucchini pepper and feta, potato leek... you get the idea. Basically, you want the filling to be mostly or partially cooked, so that you're really just putting the tart in the oven for the pastry's sake.

You can check out a video of this recipe on our Thanksgiving Pies series over at The Assembly Line . You can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook for weekly recipes and videos.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Tart

Makes one tart, serves 6-8

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, sliced thin

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced thin (crimini, oyster, hen of the woods, chanterelles or

whatever is available)

3 cloves garlic, minced fine

splash of sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

¼ cup sour cream (or creme fraiche)

1 medium egg

⅓ cup goat cheese, crumbled (or to taste)

2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stem

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed and cold

chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large skillet, add the butter and olive oil. Add the sliced shallots to the butter and oil. Stir and let the shallots heat up for 2 minutes, until just fragrant and slightly softened. Add the mushrooms to the shallots, and cook until the mushrooms are softened and the moisture has evaporated, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sherry vinegar to the pan and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and allow the mushrooms to fully cool.

In a small bowl combine the sour cream and egg until the egg is fully incorporated. Add the sour cream mixture to the cooled mushroom mixture in the bowl, stir until fully combined.

Roll out your puff pastry so that it is larger in size than a large dinner plate. Using the dinner plate upside down as a stencil, cut a circle out of the puff pastry. Using a smaller salad plate, gently score an inner circle inside of the larger puff pastry circle. Using a fork, gently poke the inner circle of the puff pastry.

To assemble the tart-

Add the mushroom mixture to the inner circle of pastry. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms, any extra liquid can remain in the bowl. Top with goat cheese and thyme. Brush the outer edges of the pastry with egg wash.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is browned and fully cooked.  Once fully cooked, top with fresh chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pear, Rosemary and Goat Cheese Crostata

I never tire of making crostata's and galettes (as is obvious on this blog). I love that they can be sweet or savory, or walk the line between sweet or savory. I also love that the pastry is simple, with very little wait time. And most importantly, it's a great way to use up some extra ripe fruit.

This pear and goat cheese crostata walks the line between sweet and savory. It's great as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee (or glass of wine!), or sliced into small wedges as an appetizer at a dinner party. It could also be a dessert, if you're into serving something not too sweet. Also, add more sugar, it will be sweeter. Take away the goat cheese, it will be less savory. The rosemary adds such a nice hit of green and aromatic flavor with or without cheese. If you don't have rosemary, try something else: thyme, black pepper, tarragon, or maybe even marjoram. 

If you don't have a food processor, you can even make the crostata dough by hand (and it's arguably better that way). A food processor helps if you're nervous about mixing it all up evenly and well. Also, good butter helps. This is a good place to splurge on a nicer brand as there really aren't too many ingredients in this pastry. For flour, I prefer King Arthur brand, for its high protein content, but any kind will do. And if you don't want dairy, you could use a quality vegan margarine (like Earth Balance) in the dough; it will make the pastry a little saltier (so omit any additional salt), and it's not quite as great as butter, but it 100% works. 

And lastly, the pears. You want good pears. I like them in this dish when they're really ripe. Even a little bruised is ok. If they're too hard the tart doesn't bake as evenly. You use Bosc, Anjou, or whatever you can get your hands on that's good at the market. You don't need to peel them, and they add such a nice pop of color. 

Pear, Rosemary and Goat Cheese Crostata

Serves 4

For the pastry-

1¼  cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons ice cold water

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

turbinado or raw sugar, for sprinkling

For the filling-

2 pears (about 1 lbs / 450 grams), ripe but still firm, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

2 tablespoons honey, plus more for garnish (local honey)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

juice of ½ a lemon

4 oz. fresh goat cheese

To a food processor, add the flour sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to combine the mixture. Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients, pulse until pea-sized pieces of dough are formed. Alternatively, you can use your hands or a pastry cutter to combine the dry ingredients with the butter.

To the dough, add the apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Pulse until the dough comes together into a ball but is not too wet. It should stick together between your fingers when squeezed. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

While your dough is chilling, prepare the fruit and cheese. To a bowl, add the sliced pear, sugar, honey, rosemary, and lemon juice.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C)

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. The dough should roll out to about 12-13 inches in diameter, or about ½ an inch thick. The edges do not have to be perfect. Leaving a 1.5-2 inch border, pile the sliced pears into the middle of the crust. Dollop the goat cheese over the top of the pears. Fold the edges of dough over the pears.


Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle the Turbinado or raw sugar over the brushed dough. Transfer the crostata with the parchment paper onto a baking sheet.

Bake the crostata for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the pears are tender. If the crust starts to brown too much before the pears are cooked, cover the the exposed crust with foil. Drizzle a little honey over the hot crostata. Slice and serve warm or room temp.

Before going in the oven