Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

This was my first fruit tart and now I am looking forward to trying more. This recipe is from Simply Recipes. This tart was delicious but the balsamic glaze was an epic FAIL for me. You are supposed to macerate the strawberries and sugar and take the drippings from the macerated strawberries and boil it with balsamic vinegar. The problem might have been that I didn't have enough strawberry juice, but my glaze was super thick and syrup like. I tried drizzling the syrup onto the tart but it hardened up to the consistency of rock candy. I ended up just peeling it off before serving it. I'm not sure how this would work properly unless you used only a small bit of balsamic in comparison to your strawberry drippings. I may try that next time.

The recipe says to use lemon juice or orange juice as an alternative to the balsamic in the glaze if you prefer. Honestly, it was still scrumptious on it's own without a glaze. Another great addition would be a chocolate drizzle. The recipe has orange zest in it and the chocolate/strawberry/orange combo could be delish. I would do the glaze with the strawberry juices plus orange juice and then drizzle chocolate over the top.

You can bake the tart shell a day ahead of time, keep at room temperature (do not chill). Fill the shell with filling and strawberries just before serving. It is important to assemble everything right before serving so that the strawberries don't get too mushy.

Ingredients:

Tart Shell

1 recipe pie dough

Filling and Glaze

2 lbs strawberries, stemmed and quartered*

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp orange zest, divided

1 teaspoon lemon juice

12 ounces mascarpone cheese (can also use 8 ounces mascarpone mixed in with 4 ounces of ricotta or 4 ounces of whipped cream)*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (substitute a teaspoon of lemon juice if you don't have balsamic)

Directions:

Roll out the pie dough and line a 10-inch tart pan with the dough. Prick the bottom of the shell all over with the tines of a fork. Freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Fill at least two-thirds with pie weights - dried beans, rice, or ceramic or metal pie weights. Bake initially for 15 minutes, then remove from oven, let cool enough to handle, and remove the aluminum foil or parchment paper and pie weights. Return to oven and cook until lightly browned at the edges, about 20 more minutes. Let cool completely.

Gently combine strawberries, half of the orange zest, and the granulated sugar in large bowl so that the strawberries are coated with sugar. Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes.

Mix together the mascarpone cheese, confectioner's sugar, the remaining orange zest, lemon juice and the vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until needed.

After the strawberries have macerated for 30 minutes, place a sieve over a bowl and drain the liquid out of the strawberry mixture into the bowl. Take that strawberry liquid and put it in a small saucepan. Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the saucepan, and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Boil until the liquid has reduced to the consistency of syrup, remove from heat and let cool.

*Notes:

• I didn't have a 10-inch tart pan so I used a 9-inch one. I had quite a bit of leftover strawberries which can be served as extras when plating or saved for later.
• I used 12oz mascarpone and it was divine.