Rum Raisin Greek Yogurt Tart

When I heard about the #MadeWithChobani project I was all in!

"We're challenging a handful of great food bloggers (who, me?) to come up with a unique, healthy recipe using Chobani yogurt as a key ingredient. It could be a dessert, an appetizer, or even a main course. ­ We just want to hear how you would use Chobani as a healthy ingredient in a great dish!"

I love Greek yogurt, so this challenge was made just for me! While getting all the holiday cooking done, I kept thinking back to the #MadeWithChobani challenge and what I would make. I remembered the good old days, (the 1980's), when we used to strain yogurt to remove the excess water, making a "yogurt cheese." This thick yogurt could then be used in place of cream cheese.

I knew I was going "retro" in answering the Chobani challenge. One of my favorite desserts of all time is the sour cream raisin pie at Marie Callenders. Raise your hand if you loved it too.

Sadly, the sour cream raisin pie has been retired by Marie Callenders.

Moment of silence please.

Although the sour cream raisin pie is gone, it is not forgotten. I could never duplicate it, and would probably never try.  I did, however, draw on it for inspiration when creating my Rum Raisin Greek Yogurt Tart for the #MadeWithChobani challenge.

The first thing I needed to do was to strain the yogurt. Greek yogurt is, by nature, already strained. That is part of why it is so thick, creamy, and delicious. But for my retro dessert, I wanted the yogurt to be the consistency of cream cheese, so I strained the yogurt, 1980's style! I cut some unbleached cheesecloth to fit in a large strainer.

Tip: If using natural cheesecloth, it works best it you moisten it first, then squeeze out the water.

I emptied a large container of plain Chobani yogurt into the cheesecloth-lined strainer and set it over a deep bowl. You want to make sure the bowl is deep enough so that the bottom of the strainer is well above the liquid that will drain out.

Next I set a plate over the top of the yogurt.

I put a heavy soup bowl upside down on top of the plate. Essentially I was creating a cheese press. I put the contraption in the refrigerator overnight.

The next afternoon, when I was ready to start my dish, ¾ cup of water had drained out.

Tip: If you keep chickens, pour this liquid over stale bread and feed it to the flock. They will love you forever!

Here is my strained yogurt, exactly the thickness and consistency I remember from the 80's.

For the tart, I used a ground almond crust, rum raisin filling and a yogurt "cheesecake" topping. I baked it in a tart pan with removable bottom, but it would work well in a square pan and cut into bars. Then they would be Rum Raisin Greek Yogurt Bars.

You can serve this plain, especially if made into bars, or garnish as I did with whipped cream and rum raisin sauce.

This tart might not qualify as "healthy" by Chobani standards, but it certainly qualifies as delicious. Here's the recipe!

Rum Raisin Greek Yogurt Tart

Decadent tart with almond crust, rum raisin filling, and Greek yogurt custard top.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Refrigeration time (yogurt straining): 8 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Budget: Frugal

Calories: 412kcal

Servings: 12 servings

0.51x2x3x

Equipment

• Cheesecloth
• Sieve
• Medium bowl
• Small plate
• Tart pan

Ingredients

For the strained yogurt:

• 32 ounce container of plain Greek yogurt 0% or 4% fat

For the crust:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup ground almonds
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cold butter

For the raisin filling:

• 2.5 cups raisins
• ¾ cup spiced rum
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the yogurt topping:

• 2 egg yolks slightly beaten
• 2 cups strained yogurt
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the strained yogurt:

• Position a piece of folded cheesecloth over a fine sieve strainer. Place the strainer in a tall bowl. Empty the container of yogurt into the cheesecloth-lined sieve. Cover with a small plate and something heavy to weigh it down.
• Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid that drained out and refrigerate the thickened yogurt.

For the crust:

• Line a 9 inch tart pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the sides and the parchment with baking spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine all the crust ingredients except the butter. Use a cheese grater to grate the cold butter into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
• Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms coarse crumbs. Using your fingers, press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared tart pan.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. Remove the tart pan from the oven and set it aside to cool on a wire rack.

For the raisin filling:

• Place the raisins and the rum in a small saucepan. Carefully heat over medium heat until rum comes to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer gently until half of the rum is absorbed. Remove ½ cup of raisins and a little liquid and set aside to use for garnish.
• To the remaining raisins in the saucepan, add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until the bubbly and thick, about 2-3 minutes.
• Stir gently to avoid mashing the raisins. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

For the yogurt topping:

• Using an electric mixer, combine the beaten egg yolks, strained yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Mix on low-speed until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble the tart:

• Place the raisin filling evenly over the top of the baked and cooled crust. Add the yogurt topping mixture evenly on top of the raisins in big dollops. Using a knife or small offset spatula, spread the topping evenly to the edges of the pan.
• Bake the tart in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and set in the middle. Do not over bake. It will firm up as it chills.
• Cool the tart completely before cutting.
• You can pour the reserved rum raisins on top of each slice as a garnish or you can thicken them with a little cornstarch and water to make a sauce. Serve plain or with whipped cream and rum raisins.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I provided all of the ingredients. I was not compensated in any way for writing this post. I am just a Greek yogurt junkie who loves a challenge.