Berry Mascarpone Tart Recipes

Steps:

• For the crust: In a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, pinch of salt and lemon zest. Mix together for about 30 seconds.
• With a sharp knife, open the vanilla bean, remove the seeds and add them to the other ingredients in the mixer.
• With the mixer on a medium speed, add the cold butter and mix until it looks like coarse crumbs.
• In a small bowl, beat together the yolks and grappa and add it to the mixture. Keep the machine running on medium speed. The dough will come together (it only takes a few seconds) and as soon as it starts leaving the sides of the bowl, turn off the machine, and by hand on a flat surface, work into shape of a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter an 11-inch tart pan very well.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick, and then gently lay it into the tart pan. Press the dough lightly into the round edges, then, using your fingers, press on the edges of the pan, cutting off the excess.
• With a fork, poke the dough several times, all the way through to the pan. The tart will try to "rise" in the oven, so poking the tart helps it breathe in the hot air.
• Bake in the oven until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Set aside on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Use a hand mixer to whip together the mascarpone, cream, grappa, sugar, and vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Whip until you have soft peaks.
• Spread the filling on top of the cooled crust. Add the berries by just dropping them on the cream, there is no need to push the fruit. If the cream is light and fluffy they will slowly drop into the filling. Top with shaved dark chocolate.

Steps:

• Make tart shell:
• Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork, then drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together.
• Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes.
• Make filling while tart shell cools:
• Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff.
• Assemble tart:
• Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.