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1
Special equipment: a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; kitchen torch
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For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Place the graham crackers, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
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Process until the crumbs are very fine, about 1 minute.
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Dump the crumbs into a medium bowl, then dust out the bowl of the food processor with a paper towel, and place the bowl and blade back on the machine.
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In a small heatproof bowl, combine the butter, 2 teaspoons water and the vanilla extract.
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Heat in the microwave on high power until the butter melts, about 45 seconds.
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Stir to blend, and then pour into the crumbs.
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Use a fork to toss the mixture until its evenly moistened; when you grab a fistful of crumbs and squeeze, it should hold together like damp sand (if not, add a bit more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until you get there).
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10
Turn the crust mixture into the tart pan, and pat into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
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Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the crust firmly into place.
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Bake until lightly golden, fragrant and firm, about 8 minutes.
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Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.
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14
For the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. In the bowl of the food processor, grind 6 tablespoons of the sugar until noticeably finer, about 1 minute (you'll notice a bit of sweet smoke rising up into the air from the processor-this is the sign that the sugar is breaking down).
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15
Add the yogurt, vanilla extract, orange zest, salt, eggs and cream cheese.
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Blend until perfectly smooth.
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Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
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Bake until the filling is set at the edges but still quite wobbly towards the center, about 30 minutes.
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Cool the tart on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
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Transfer to the refrigerator and chill uncovered until very firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
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21
Remove the ring from the tart pan and place the tart on a heatproof serving platter.
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22
Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar over the surface of the tart and smooth it out evenly, covering the entire surface.
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Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar, scorching a bit in spots.
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Let the sugar harden for a few minutes, then cut and serve.
