I was asked to make a healthy dessert for a friends summer dinner party. This tart combines nuts, fruit and dairy, but no sugar and looks and tastes great – it is also so easy to make. The walnut pastry is a modified version of Mary Berry’s recipe (BBC food recipes) and the dairy filling is even better if you use home made ricotta. I used local fruit and nuts – certified organic blueberries from Twelve Trees Farm; raspberries and strawberries from Westerway Raspberry Farm; Tasmanian Coaldale walnuts and Pure Tasmanian saffron.

Walnut pastry

175 g  plain flour
100 g cold butter, cubed
1 egg plus 1 tbls cold water, beaten
45 g  walnuts, chopped finely

Place the flour, walnuts and butter in a food processor and process till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the egg/water mixture and process till a dough ball forms. Remove from processor and knead gently to a smooth ball. wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least an hour. When ready to bake, roll out the pastry to about 3 mm thickness and ease into a 26 cm loose base tart pan. Place in the fridge for 30 mins before baking. Blind bake in a 190°C (170°C for fan forced) oven for 15 minutes, remove baking paper and beads and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Let tart base cool.

Dairy filling

250 – 350 g  ricotta
250 g mascarpone cheese
pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 teas of warm water
good slurp of cointreau

Prepare the dairy filling several hours before putting the tart together to get a good colour from the saffron.                                                                                                                  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until needed.

The tart

To put the tart together, spoon the ricotta mixture into the pastry base and smooth the top with a pallet knife. Decorate with seasonal fruits and serve.