13 July 2008

Cherry Mascarpone Cheese Tart

Cherry Mascarpone Cheese Tart
I need an oblong shaped tart pan. As simple as that. I made do with my round tart pan with removable bottom but the rectangular shaped pan would have been a nicer presentation....so thinks I. (Insert picture of Valli with fingers and toes crossed when she used a round pan instead). As it turned out I just baked the round tart for the maximum amount of time in the recipe and it turned out fine.



It is cherry season here in the Okanagan...although there are slim and expensive pickings due to a cold snap in the Spring when the trees were blooming. It will be the same for the doomed apricots as well. My daughter and I made a trip to Urban Harvest and I picked up some cherries (priced like gold but certainly worth the price) from local growers. I had some mascarpone left in the fridge and with a simple Google search came up with this recipe from Food & Wine Magazine from chef Spencer Budros.
This is a dessert for adult tastes therefore my daughter 'Lil Burnt Toast and I had it all to ourselves on our mother/daughter movie night. So if you enjoy desserts that are not overly sweet...this one is just for you!!
What I loved about it was that you baked the crust and then blitzed it in the food processor eliminating the need to have a perfect tart crust. This crust uses cornmeal which gave it an unusual but delicious texture.

from Spencer Budros, pastry chef and co-owner of Pistachio, a shop in Columbus, Ohio.

CRUST

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil spray

FILLING

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons heavy cream

CHERRIES

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup black Muscat wine (I'm afraid I had no Muscat so substituted Port for this)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pound cherries—stemmed, pitted and halved
directions

MAKE THE CRUST: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Beat in the flour, cornmeal and salt and until a dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and roll it out to a 9-inch square, a scant 1/4 inch thick. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Immediately transfer the dough to a food processor and pulse until fine. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.

Line a 13 3/4-by-4-inch, straight-sided rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom with foil. Spray the foil with vegetable spray. Press a 1/2-inch layer of the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the side of the pan. Refrigerate until firm, 20 minutes.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half of the mascarpone cheese and beat at low speed until combined. Add the remaining mascarpone cheese, the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and cream and beat just until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the surface.

Set the tart pan on a sturdy baking sheet. Position racks in the bottom and center of the oven. On the bottom rack, place a roasting pan filled with 1 inch of water. Place the tart on the center rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is puffed and set. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Lift the tart from the pan and remove the foil. Transfer to a platter.

PREPARE THE CHERRIES: In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, Muscat and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a bowl and add the cherries. Let stand for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to the tart and serve.

Serves 8

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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39 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 13, 2008

    Oh lord, but that's gorgeous! I just got another quart of cherries from my CSA share yesterday and I'm trying to figure out what to do with them!

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  2. Yum yum yum Val! Love all kinds of cheesecakes and cheese tarts..and I adore cherries..so this recipe is a win win situation...stunning!

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  3. I love mascarpone cheese and cherries... That tart looks extremely good and wonderfully refreshing!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. Looks delicious! Lucky you and Little Burnt Toast!

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  5. Cherries do cost a lot here as well that's why I haven't made anything except for some crepes with a cherry sauce. Cheesecake or tart is perfect with cherries.

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  6. Yummy Val, that looks incredible. A great recipe and I would get to buy a new pan???!!! Doesn't get much better for me!

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  7. AnonymousJuly 13, 2008

    This sounds amazing...I have an oblong pan...I might use it on this one.

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  8. Gorgeous looking tarts. I love cherries, I love mascarpone and this combination just rocks!

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  9. That looks divine!!!!!!!

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  10. Oh, another wicked dessert! Yum :P I can't see how it could have looked any more tempting than it does already, personally!

    I really do think you should divulge your viewing habits for mother/daughter movie night, it is only fair ;)

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  11. This looks delicious, and we have cherry season, too! Cheers to cherries!

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  12. I would say it turned out just beautifully! I want to try this, as I like desserts that aren't too sweet and I'm a big fan of cherries.

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  13. Yes we need all sort of shaped pans. If only I had the space and money to have a proper collection.:-)This cheesecake is a classic wonder.

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  14. Wooooo, that looks beautiful! I was just snacking on some cherries the other day. They looked so pretty in the store, but then I got them home and didn't know what to do with them. Now I know. I wonder if I can get more cherries down here.

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  15. Val, I have been fortunate enough to taste Okanagan cherries, and know that they are worth every penny. You showcased them beautifully here!

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  16. The tart looks amazing and I can see why you would be lusting for a rectangular tart pan. I would love one too. I wonder if this recipe would work with Quark Cheese or do you need the richness of the marscarpone?

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  17. This looks so good!!

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  18. Oh yes..Moscato & cherries...divinely delicious.

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  19. Cheese and fruit desserts are a weakness of mine. I'll just add your recipe to my list. Beautiful picture!!

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  20. Cheesecake - Good
    Cherries - Good!
    Cheesecake with Cherries - Fantastic!
    That looks so yummy Val!

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  21. Val, Forget the oblong tart pan this looks perfect just the way it is!! Great recipe, thanks for sharing!!

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  22. Mm,mm! Love those cherries. They're just starting here as well. (Love that mascarpone too, unfortunately.)

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  23. I love desserts that aren't too sweet.

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  24. That looks fantastic Val! I love marscapone and not so sweet desserts! Perfection!

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  25. You know how to make me happy Val- cherries and cheese and I'll follow you anywhere ;)
    xoxo

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  26. Oh how I love cherries! This sounds fabulous! And I need a rectangular tart pan too...

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  27. My daughter is only 7 and I'm dreaming of movie nights with her. You are such a honey mom. Do you ever get upset with little burnt toast?
    Great tart - the crust is very interesting.

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  28. AnonymousJuly 15, 2008

    Delicious, Val! It's cherry season here, too...sooo luscious! I keep eating them all before using them in recipes though. Oops! lol

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  29. I agree with everyone else, looks bloomin' amazing!

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  30. can I just drool over this Val? Too late - I already have.....

    Cheers
    David

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  31. Vall, beauty, so beauty, I love all the plate, the food, all!! Vall Didi you know how much I admire you???you are really inspired me!!! xxxGloria

    (Vall now I want some cherries but we don`t have we are in winter snif,snif)

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  32. Mascarpone is one of my favorite ingredients. Cherry pie is my other favorite fruit pie (the other other favorite is blueberry). This is a match made in heaven for sure.

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  33. AnonymousJuly 15, 2008

    Looks so delicious! I just added mascarpone into my cake for the first time yesterday and it was so delicious! I bet your tart is yummy too! A must try!

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  34. That looks like a great way to enjoy the cherries! I have been wanting to try a mascarpone based cheese tart like that.

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  35. This cheese tart is so marvelous!
    It will definitely go on my "to make" list. ;)

    I also noticed that your sister and I have the same name...Ivy. I thought that was cool.

    And... when I was little, I actually lived down the road from Penticton. I remember going to the lake and swimming and then getting ice cream from this stand that was shapped like a peach. Fun memories!

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  36. I adore pairing cherries and berries with mascarpone. And my that pie is mouth-watering.

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  37. OMG! That looks divine! I love getting my cherries drunk before I eat them! ;)

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  38. With the mascarpone cheese, must be so decadent.

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  39. You are killing me with this, Val. I would make it tonight but I fear I would eat it all in one sitting :) I actually just bought 2 lbs of cherries yesterday and don't see them lasting too long. :) And with mascarpone, this tart has to be SO GOOD.

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Val

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