Nectarine, Mascarpone and Gingersnap Tart

This recipe immediately caught my eye when I saw it in my Google Reader.  I love it because it is a creative spin on the traditional fruit tart with a slightly different filling and crust.  And this was the perfect time to make it, as nectarines were $0.88/lb at the grocery store!  We had Ben’s family over for dinner last weekend.  After a delicious summery meal of chicken and veggie subs on the grill, grilled corn on the cob and fresh watermelon, this was the perfect dessert.  Everyone really enjoyed it (and Ben and I really enjoyed the leftovers!)  I thought all the flavors really complemented each other well, and I especially liked the hint of lemon in the filling.  Delicious!

Nectarine, Mascarpone and Gingersnap Tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

37 gingersnap cookies, coarsely broken (about 9 oz. or 3 ¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. pieces)

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

 

For the filling:

1 8-oz. container mascarpone cheese

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon zest

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

 

For the topping:

4 to 5 small nectarines, halved, pitted, and cut into thin slices

¼ cup peach jam, warmed

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Finely grind gingersnaps in the food processor.  Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened.  Press mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom.  Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of a spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes.  Cool completely.

 

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth.  Spread filling in the prepared crust.  Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

 

Overlap nectarine slices on top of the filling in concentric circles.  Brush with jam.  Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours. 

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

I have had my eye on this tart for months but have  put off making it.  Don’t ask why, I’m just crazy like that.  We had friends over for dinner recently and I decided it was time to give it a try.  We are all very glad I did!  Ben especially, this may be his new favorite dessert I make.  It tasted just as wonderful as I expected from reading the recipe - how can you go wrong with cream cheese, strawberries and chocolate?  My only complaint is that this was a bit awkward to eat due to the layer of chocolate underneath the cream cheese.  It was so hard (even after sitting out for a bit) that eating it with a knife and fork was difficult.  Ben and I found that cutting small slices and just eating them without utensils was easier, and less messy.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. sugar

¼ tsp. salt

2/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup ice water

 

For the filling:

6 oz. dark chocolate

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

½ tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. milk or cream

fresh strawberries (approx. 2 pints), sliced

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.  Rub in butter with fingertips (or mix with stand mixer/food processor) until mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand.  Stir in water, adding an additional tablespoon if necessary until dough starts to come together and clumps easily.  Press dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on a well-floured surface and press into a 9- or 10-inch tart pan.  Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and place a piece of aluminum foil over the pastry.  Fill the foil with pie weights and bake for 12 minutes at 350°.  Remove foil and weights and continue baking for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool completely before filling.

Melt 4 oz. dark chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  When melted, pour into the pastry crust and spread evenly to coat the bottom with a thin layer of chocolate.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cool and firm.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk in a large bowl until smooth.  Pour into the cooled crust.  Top cream cheese layer with sliced strawberries.  Melt remaining dark chocolate and drizzle over berries.  Refrigerate the tart for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. 

Source: adapted from Baking Bites

French Apple Tart

On our way home from Bloomington this weekend we stopped at our favorite local apple orchard and bought some goodies, including a big bag of Jonagold apples. I thought this would be a perfect time to try out this recipe since I’ve been dying to make it. I must say, it is absolutely delicious. I’m not sure if it’s because it is a great recipe, or if it is because the apples are so yummy but either way, this is delicious! We don’t have any ice cream right now but I think this would be even more amazing a la mode.

French Apple Tart
Ingredients:
1 recipe basic tart dough
1 heaping tbsp. apricot preserves
4 large or 6 medium apples, firm textured
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
3 tbsp. sugar, divided
½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
½ tsp. cinnamon, divided
confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out tart dough and press into tart pan, trimming the excess off the edges. Using a fork, lightly poke holes in the tart dough. Cover with a layer of aluminum foil and fill with baking beads. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, remove baking beads and foil, and allow to cool 10 minutes. Spread apricot preserves in a thin layer over bottom of the tart. Allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, peel 2-3 apples and cut into thin slices. Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tbsp. of butter in the pan. Add 1 tbsp. sugar, ½ tsp. lemon zest and ¼ tsp. cinnamon. Add apple slices to the pan and sauté 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft. Gently mash the apples with a spoon or fork and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Peel the remaining apples and cut into slices ¼” thick. In a saucepan or skillet, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Add apple slices and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled, glazed tart shell. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce. Cover the edges of the tart with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning of the tart shell. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the tart. Broil under a preheated broiler 4 inches from heat until the edges of the apples are golden brown and crisp. Remove tart from broiler, remove foil from edges and serve warm.

Source: adapted from Joy of Baking

Mixed Berry Tart

Yesterday I had the day off from surgery (YAY!) so Ben and I went down to Bloomington to visit with our families. We had brunch at his parents’ house which is always a good time because his dad makes the best omelets ever. I always like to bring something for brunch if I can and this time I thought I would make a tart. I went to the store with a totally different tart in mind, but when I saw Driscoll’s “three berry packs” on sale, I knew this was the tart to make. This was very easy to make, especially with the help of my trusty Kitchenaid mixer for the crust. This was definitely a hit with everyone at brunch. I especially liked it because it is something sweet but definitely on the lighter side as desserts go. What a great way to take advantage of the abundance of summer berries while they are still in season!

Mixed Berry Tart
Ingredients:
1 basic tart dough (see recipe below)

3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-4 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:
Make the tart dough according to recipe below. (I rolled mine out, lined the tart pan, covered with foil and filled it with baking beads. I baked it at 375 until it was done, and I’m not sure how long that took - maybe 25 minutes?)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch and egg yolks on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and vanilla and bring to a simmer. While stirring, pour half the milk into the sugar mixture until combined. Then pour this mixture back into the pan with the remaining milk and place over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides and corners of the pan while whisking to prevent scorching. Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and cover the surface with parchment paper. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

Basic Tart Dough
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
2 Tbs. very cold water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk, water and vanilla; set aside.

To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and mix with a fork just until the dough pulls together.

To make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and beat on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and beat just until the dough pulls together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. Use the dough immediately, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.

To roll out the dough, on a lightly floured board, flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out until the dough is about 1⁄8 inch thick. Use a small, sharp knife to cut out a round or rounds 2 inches greater in diameter than your tart or larger tartlet pans. Use a small, sharp knife or a cookie cutter to cut out rounds 1⁄2 to 1 inch greater in diameter than your miniature tartlet pans. If using a rectangular tart pan, cut out a rectangle 2 inches larger on all sides than the pan. Makes enough dough for one 9 1⁄2-inch tart, six 4-inch tartlets, twelve 2-inch miniature tartlets or one 13 3⁄4-by-4 1⁄4-inch rectangular tart.

To serve, spoon the pastry cream into the crust, arrange the berries on top and dust with confectioners sugar. Serves 8.

Source: Williams Sonoma