This tart is delicious, and very easy to make (and you gotta love a good old-fashioned crumble top!). I know you can buy ricotta, and you can buy shortcrust pastry, but it’s so much more satisfying (and tastier) to make your own.

ricotta
(makes about 200g)
1 litre of full-cream milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place milk in a non-reactive pot, and warm it to just below simmering point, stirring frequently. Add lemon juice quickly whilst stirring; curds should start to separate almost immediately. Remove from heat. Place a piece of cheesecloth over a colander and pour in contents of pot. Let it drain without squeezing (squeezing makes the cheese grainy instead of soft and creamy) – the longer the draining, the firmer the cheese. 10-15 minutes should be sufficient.

shortcrust pastry
1 cup plain flour
60g butter
1.5 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons castor sugar

Rub butter through flour thoroughly. Mix through enough water to bind. Handle quickly and gently – too much rubbing or kneading will make the pastry tough. Chill 20 minutes before rolling.

crumble topping
50g brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
75g flour
40g butter

Rub the butter through flour until it forms pea-size lumps. Mix baking powder through brown sugar, then mix sugar mixture and flour mixture together.

tart filling
1 tablespoon honey
200g best ricotta
50g chopped walnuts or pecans
2 medium pears, cooked and sliced

Line a flan dish with the shortcrust pastry, and blind-bake for 10-15 minutes in a medium oven. Mix ricotta with honey and walnuts. Place ricotta mixture in pie shell, then arrange pear slices on top. Scatter the crumble topping over the pears, return to the oven and bake for 30-40minutes.