I see other bloggers make fruit tarts similar to this all the time. I guess it’s the in thing to do these days. Maybe because we eat with our eyes first?? Either way, I wanted to try one for myself. They’re so darn beautiful-the bursts of color and fun patterns.
It’s not often I make a dessert sans chocolate so when I do it has to be extra special! The creamy filling is delicious, definitely a bold almond flavor. You could top it with any kind of fruit you like too. I went with a variety of fruits. Giada actually put figs on hers and baked it differently-no tart pan. I’m sure that was good too. But I wanted to try something different. The end result was a colorful, pretty, tasty summer treat!
Note: Because fruit is so juicy, this dessert is best served the same day it is made. Also, the almond paste is definitely a prominent flavor in the crust, if you’re not into that sort of thing then I suggest you cut back on the amount you use. The original recipe called for 2-½ ounces of almond paste and I used 2 ounces. We liked it the way it was.
Here's what you'll need
In the bowl of a food processor add flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest
…Pulse…
Now add the chilled butter pieces
Pulse again until the butter resembles peas
Then add in the ice water. 3 tablespoons total (or 6 1/2 tablespoons like me)
Looks about right. Now form it into a disk
Then wrap in plastic and chill for about an hour
On to the mascarpone filling. In goes the remaining sugar plus the almond paste, mascarpone, honey and vanilla
Give that a whirl
Roll the dough out then press it into your tart pan
Spread the almond-mascarpone filling on top. Pop it in the oven
Once it's cooled top with berries and serve. A great summer dessert!
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Ingredients
1-½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
2 ounces almond paste, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
fruit for topping (we used strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and kiwi)
Directions
Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
In a clean food processor bowl, combine the remaining sugar, almond paste, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out the dough into a circle. Transfer the dough to a tart pan and gently mold it to the pan. Spread the almond filling over the dough.
Bake the tart until the crust is golden, about 30-40 minutes. Place the tart pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the pan and transfer it to a serving dish. Top with berries or other fruit. Best when served the same day.
Source: adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
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