Berry Tart with Mascarpone Filling

"The world is moving so fast these days that the one who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it." a comment made by one of my professors. As the years pass and I grow older I have started appreciating life's little moments a bit more, time no longer slows down for me, but rather speeds up and disappears in a blink of an eye. So much so that I have neglected this small joy of mine. But do not worry my passion for food is still here and so is my joy of creating it! Today my inspiration is a fruit tart. Something so simple and beautiful that it's hard to ignore, yet many pass it by with out a glance. Seeing but not enjoying. So here is a glance…

Berry Tart with Mascarpone Filling Serves 6-8

Mandarin orange slices, sliced kiwi fruit, and/or sliced bananas can all be substituted for any of the berries in this recipe.

1 recipe pastry dough (recipe follows)
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup apricot jelly
1/3 cup water
1/2 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved
6 ounces blackberries, washed
6 ounces raspberries, washed
2 ounces blueberries, washed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry dough to 1/4-inch thickness in the shape of a large circle (about 14-inches in diameter).  Place the rolling pin in the center of the circle and fold one half of the pastry dough over the rolling pin.  Pick up the rolling pin and transport the pastry dough to a 10-inch tart pan.  Trim and adjust the pastry dough as needed so that it fits in the tart pan.

Prick the dough with the tines of a fork and then lay a sheet of parchment paper over it.  Place pie weights or a mixture of dried beans and rice on top of the parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tart shell from the oven and carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights.  Return the tart shell to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes until it is golden brown.  Remove the shell from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the apricot jelly and the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat so that you have a strong simmer and allow the jelly mixture to reduce by about half.  Strain the jelly mixture into a small bowl (discard any fruit bits that are caught in the strainer) and let cool.

In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone, heavy cream, and sugar until stiff peaks form. 

To assemble the tart, spread the mascarpone filling over the bottom of the cooled tart shell.  Place the fruit on top of the mascarpone filling as desired. Brush the fruit with the jelly mixture and serve.

Pastry Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
5 tablespoons ice water

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.  Using a fork or pastry blender cut the butter into the flour mixture until the fat is in small lumps.   Sprinkle with ice water and use a fork to pull the mixture together.  If the mixture is not holding together, add up to 1 more tablespoon of water. If you haven't handled pastry dough before, you can always throw all of the ingredients into a food processor! Once done, follow directions below!

Turn dough on the counter and, working quickly, mold into a large ball.  Press into a 5” disc then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes and up to one day.

Enjoy,

Lena