My father isn’t usually a dessert person, but there is one dessert he truly loves and will ask me to make on occasion: la tarte au fromage blanc. I had almost forgotten about it until a few days ago, when a sudden urge to bake struck me and I decided to make a tart — specifically, a tarte au fromage blanc.
Think of la tarte au fromage blanc as the French cousin of an American cheesecake. In France, cream cheese is not as common, so the tart is traditionally made with fromage blanc. Fromage blanc can be hard to find outside of Europe, and many versions available elsewhere are lower in fat and lack the texture and flavor of the authentic product.
What is fromage blanc? Fromage blanc (froh-MAHZH BLAHN) is a soft, fresh cheese from northern France and Belgium. It has a consistency similar to plain yogurt and comes in different fat percentages — 0, 20, or 40% — the higher the fat, the silkier the texture. In France it’s enjoyed like yogurt, with sugar and fresh fruit, and used extensively in desserts and some savory dishes.
For this tart I didn’t have fromage blanc, so I used plain sheep yogurt combined with mascarpone. The result was wonderfully close to the original. Lemon zest and poppyseeds give a subtle, bright flavor; even with a modest amount of lemon, the acidity of the yogurt makes the tart pleasantly lemony.
Is it difficult to make? Not at all. It’s straightforward, keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days, and is an excellent make-ahead dessert.
I called my dad on Skype to tell him what I’d made and he guessed immediately: “Une tarte au fromage blanc!” He hadn’t eaten one in years, and neither had my partner and I — so it felt good to revive this family favorite.
