The Strangest Piece of Delicious Pie

I have some good news, and I have some bad news.  The good news is that I'm back in action, with the heavy weight of that horrible HESI exam lifted off my shoulders.  The bad news is that I replaced it immediately with the weight of some bona fide Greek goodness around my hips.  So like I said--good news and good news.

It's been a minute since I've actually written about something Greek on this Greek-gastronomy-inspired blog--that pathetic trend ends here.  With the Big Fat Greek Easter extravaganza (not to be confused with The Extravaganza) a mere NINE DAYS away, I've kicked into full-on YaiYai mode.  The phyllo is thawing, the spinach is flying, and the Sakis is blaring.  From this frenzy, the Honeyed Greek Yogurt Tart was born.

 

The strange step-child of Greece's most famous culinary contributions--nutty baklava dripping with honey and rich, creamy yogurt--this tart left me speechless, then had me reaching for more.  I'll be honest: the first taste brought the word "... interesting" to mind.  But then I left it sit overnight and the flavors just came together in a surprising and semi-addicting kind of way.  And by "semi-addicting," I mean that I ate all of it except one piece. So, there's that.

This is definitely a Greek dessert: it's thick, creamy, and best with some honey.  The crust is TO DIE FOR (go ahead and try to tell me something better than nuts and butter), and the savory goat cheese balanced by the berries and honey will melt in your mouth.  It may not become your go-to dish, but it is definitely a change of taste and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Honeyed Greek Yogurt Tart

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pistachios, unsalted and shelled. My grocery store called them Filberts--who knew?
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp extract of your choice--I would have used almond or orange but I didn't have any of either, so I used Godiva Liquor, which worked great.
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/4 cups flour (I used gluten-free and it worked great)
• 8-10 oz soft goat cheese*
• 2 cups Greek yogurt (you know the drill- Fage is best, but buy what works for your wallet!)
• juice of one lime
• zest of one lime
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Honey
• Raspberries, Strawberries, or Blueberries for garnish
  * I used 9 oz and found the taste of goat's cheese too much just a tad too strong, but I loved the consistency. 8 oz might taste better, but 10 oz might make a better texture--choose your own adventure. The second time I made this, I got 8 oz of Trade Joe's goat cheese with honey and it made a big difference.
  

Assembly 

1. To make the crust, grind up the pistachios. I used  my food processor, but you can put them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin/wine bottle/can of tomato sauce.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the extract, then the nuts, the flour, and finally the salt. 
2. Put the nut mixture into a pan -- a fluted tart pan with removable sides would be best (if you don't have that, a fluted tart pan with non-removable sides or a 9-inch metal cake tin would be suitable runners up). Spread the crust throughout the dish and all the way up the sides, pushing down enough so that there is room for the filling.  Chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 300.  Poke fork holes all over the crust.  Bake the crust for about 30-40 minutes. You'll know its done when the crust is golden brown. 
4. To make the filling, beat the goat cheese, yogurt, lime juice, and lime zest together.  Add the confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. 
5. Scrape filling into the crust. Use a flat spatula to smooth.  Swirl honey onto the top of the tart--be generous but not absurd.  Chill in fridge at least three hours before serving, overnight if possible.   Garnish with berries and more honey if people feel so inclined.