Leafy Clementine & Ricotta Torte

LEAFY CLEMENTINE & RICOTTA TORTE

Ingredients

110g ground almonds
110g icing sugar
120g egg white
40g caster sugar
A pinch of fine salt

675g ricotta, drained
300ml double cream
160g caster sugar
3 gelatin leaves
6 clementines with leaves, peeled and broken into segments

Method

1. Preheat the oven 170C / fan 3.

2. In a large bowl, whip the ricotta until smooth with the sugar. Add the crushed clementine leaves to the double cream and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside. Ideally, this is left for as long as possible to infuse.

3. Cover the gelatin with cold water and set aside for 3-5 minutes.

4. Once soft, squeeze the excess water from the gelatin leaves and add this to the warm cream. Pass this through a sieve into the ricotta mixture and stir to combine. Cover and set aside.

5. Meanwhile, combine the ground almonds with the icing sugar in a bowl. Whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar and salt to form soft peaks. Sieve over the almonds and icing sugar and fold it through the egg whites.

6. Spread the mixture evenly over a baking tray with a step palette knife onto a non-stick mat or greaseproof paper the thickness of a fifty pence piece. Note: this needs to fit two 20 cm tart rings. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 15 until evenly golden.

7. While the dacquoise is still warm, push the tart ring through twice to get two rounds. Leave the tart ring around one for the rounds to form a base and trim away the excess with scissors. Don’t leave the dacquoise to get cold as it will get very brittle and shatter. Spoon a little ricotta mixture to cover the base and scatter over the clementine segments, repeat this until the tart ring is full. Carefully cover and press the lid into the ring. Place the tart into the fridge overnight to set.

8. Use a hot knife or palette knife to release the tart from the ring before lifting it away.

9. Dust with icing sugar and slice. Best eaten at room temperature.