Labneh (or Lebni) Tart
Labneh (or Lebni) Tart
A lightly sweet and simple tart made with the creamy yogurt cheese, labneh (or lebni).
Equipment
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9-inch round, fluted tart pan with removable bottom
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick/4oz)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (table salt is fine)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (4.5 oz)
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt
Labneh Filling
- 3 eggs, large
- 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt (table salt is fine)
- 1 ½ cups labneh (or lebni) cheese (12 oz)
Instructions
Tart Shell
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Move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
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In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt.
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Add the flour to the melted butter mixture and stir carefully until well combined. The resulting dough may be soft but it will quickly firm up as it sits.
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Press the dough into the tart pan, pushing up the sides of the pan. Take time with this, working to get thin, even dough coverage over the entire pan. This will ensure that the tart shell bakes up evenly and crisply.
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Place tart shell on a sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. If the crust has puffed up, you can prick it and gently push it back down with a fork right after you take it out of the oven.
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When the crust has finished baking, turn the oven down to 300°F. Brush the baked tart shell with the beaten egg yolk and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes, just to set the yolk. The yolk creates a barrier that will prevent the tart from becoming soggy when the filling is added.
Filling
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While the crust is baking, make the filling: In this order, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt together. Whisk in the labneh cheese until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
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Pour the filling over the warm crust and spread evenly. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until just set around the edges but still jiggly in the middle. The tart will continue to cook once out of the oven and will completely set up once it's cool. Make sure to avoid overbaking so that the filling remains smooth and creamy.
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Allow tart to cool completely on counter, then cover and refrigerate if not serving. The tart can be served on its own or with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or jam. I've paired it with homemade cherry jam for this post, a delicious combination.
