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Mascarpone Cream Fruit Tart

Fruit Tart

So, I have to admit that I’m having a hard time venturing back into the kitchen. My inspiration and motivation seem to be running a bit low and it’s hard to get going. Actually, the inspiration is present and alive, but it doesn’t seem to be trickling down to the feet or arms so that it can be put into action. There are a lot of ideas knocking about in the old noggin but nothing is materialising.

I fear I may have burnt myself out over the summer. I really hope not because I keep going to the farm stand and buying bag loads of organic goodies and I need to utilise them creatively. Lately, dinner has been a last minute ditch effort and unfortunately, quite a bit of take away. It will not do. Thankfully, I’ve had a few recipes to share from over the summer and that has been my saving grace. However, after this one, I’m going to be up the creek without a paddle!

Fruit Tart-2

I’m hoping to get my mojo back soon so I can get back into the groove of enjoying the cooking and baking. I really want to because the temperature is falling and the days are getting cooler. The colours of autumn are very visible and I am yearning to turn up the oven and bake away. The other day I was so desperate to smell “autumn”, I baked up a batch of cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon, apples, brown sugar, vanilla and butter are all reminiscent of autumn and cool weather to me. They remind me of cosy, lazy weekends on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a good book, or even a leisurely walk on the trails, treading upon the golden carpet of fallen leaves with the blustery autumn wind whipping up around you. Fall is my favourite season and so, the fact that I have no motivation is just about killing me.

Until I get going, here is a fresh fruit tart, a bit summery I know, but you can change out the berries or it’s quite perfect for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere. This was the dessert that I served at the Moroccan Dinner. The filling is an orange blossom water scented mascarpone and heavy cream filling and the crust is a semi cookie crust with fragrant star anise. A drizzle of slightly warmed pomegranate jelly over the top to quell any rogue sour fruit rounds out the tart. This Mascarpone Cream Fruit Tart was quite the hit. I didn’t manage to get any photos of a tart slice because by the time dessert time rolled around, I had cleaned the kitchen, packed up my stuff and was ready to call it a night.

The topping for this tart are endless and you can easily substitute autumn fruit in place of the berries. The berries, however, make an absolutely beautiful tart. 

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Mascarpone Cream Fruit Tart

Rating 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8-10 pieces

A cookie pastry crust scented with star anise and filled with a luscious orange blossom water mascarpone cream and topped with fresh, seasonal fruit.
Ingredients
Mascarpone Cream
  • 8 oz/225g container mascarpone
  • 1 cup/235ml heavy or double cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
Cookie Pastry Crust
  • 1½ cups/220g all-purpose/plain flour
  • 4 oz/1 stick/113g unsalted butter, cold, cut into medium cubes
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground star anise or anise seed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3-5 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Fresh Fruit
  • 1 heaping cup strawberries, cut in half if big, keep tops on some
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • ½ cup pomegranate arils
  • ¼ cup pomegranate or other fruit jelly, warmed up till runny.
Instructions
Mascarpone Cream
  1. In a bowl, add the mascarpone cream and beat with a mixer until softened.
  2. Add the cream and whip to a frosting consistency.
  3. You can always whip the cream separately and combine the two.
  4. Add the sugar and the orange blossom water.
  5. Chill in the fridge until needed.
Cookie Pastry Crust
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine, the flour, salt, sugar and ground star anise.
  2. Whiz to blend.
  3. Add the butter cubes and pulse to break up.
  4. To the beaten egg, add the vinegar and a tablespoon of water.
  5. Add the mixture to the flour and butter.
  6. Whiz again and check to see if flour holds.
  7. You may need up to 5 tablespoons of water.
  8. I usually need 4 tablespoons but this will depend on the humidity level where you live.
  9. You may only need 3.
  10. Process lightly till the flour butter mixture looks like it's coming together.
  11. Take out the mixture onto a clean counter and knead slightly to bring together into a ball.
  12. Flatten to a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  13. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  14. Roll out on a floured counter top into a 14"/36 cm circle for an 11"/28cm tart.
  15. I used a removable bottom tart tin.
  16. Gently lay the pastry into the tin and press down all around.
  17. I usually fold over the edges onto themselves to double crust the edges.
  18. Trim where necessary and prick all over with a fork.
  19. Chill the rolled out pastry for a few hours or preferably overnight.
  20. When ready to bake the tart shell, preheat the oven to 425F/220C.
  21. Line the tart shell with parchment and fill with rice or beans or pie weights and blind bake.
  22. Bake the tart shell for about 10-15 minutes.
  23. The tart will start to brown and if he parchment comes off easily, then it is ready to finish baking without the pie weights.
  24. Remove the parchment with the pie weights carefully and return the tart shell to the oven.
  25. Bake the shell further until golden brown all over, another 10-15 minutes.
  26. Check often to see and if golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
  27. Once the tart is cooled completely, it can be filled.
Assembly
  1. Take the chilled mascarpone cream out of the fridge.
  2. Spread the cream onto the cooled tart shell.
  3. If you are going to remove the tart shell from the tin, do it now.
  4. Carefully remove the outer tart ring and then carefully run a thin spatula or knife under the tart bottom.
  5. Carefully loosen the tart all around and slowly slip onto a serving platter.
  6. Once the tart is on the serving platter, decorate with the fresh fruit.
  7. Drizzle the warm jelly over the top of the fruit.
  8. Chill the tart until serving time.
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Fruit Tart-1

I wanted to thank everyone who weighed in on the party etiquette question. I’m glad to see that all my blogger friends are well versed in dinner party etiquettes and also feel strongly about upholding them. It was also nice to know that I’m not the only one battling inconsiderate guests at times! I so want to invite you all to my place! I know I will have a well organised party with lots of hostess gifts and lovely thank you notes, emails and texts after! 

So, here’s another question, this time on blog visiting, commenting and comment answering etiquette. I will say that I do fail miserably here, but definitely not on purpose. I write one post a week, some write three a week. There is no way I can visit and read all three posts. So, I’ll visit and read one or maybe two. But that’s impossible when you have 40+ blogs to read!

If I get a comment from a new blogger, I will visit their site at least once and comment and check out their site. If I like what I see and if we “connect”, I’ll follow them. I try very hard to answer all the comments on my blog but sometimes I just cannot get to all of them. Is that wrong? Do y’all get upset??

Your turn, what are the blog etiquettes according to you?


Comments

  3. ah orange blossom water, I would go crazy for that!! I have some in the fridge but recently I have been a bit uncreative too. As you said it, burned out. I am hoping too that the temperatures will cool and then I will certainly get my mojo back. I think you will experience something similiar. =)
    Helene D’Souza recently posted..Blueberry Tart with Custard RecipeMy Profile

  4. I am ashamed if it, but I must confess that lately I have not been able to answer comments on my blog.
    I agree with u that there are so many bloggers who are so active that it is hard to follow each and every post.
    Meanwhile, I am hunting for a fork and knife to dive into that divine looking tart 😀
    easyfoodsmith recently posted..BALUSHAHI/ BADUSHA (Indian Style Doughnuts)My Profile

  9. This is such a lovely tart. I think we all lose our mojo occasionally, I’ve started a new job and suddenly all my mojo for cooking has come back but I have no time! I don’t get offended when people don’t visit back, I love the hear from people, but boy am I busy so I understand. I usually use my lunch break to eat lunch at my desk and do bloggy things, like right now ha. Hopefully you’ll find the drive again as I love your writing and recipes!

  11. I too have been in a weird funk lately when it comes to cooking/blogging. I was so juiced a few weeks ago, and then I don’t know what happened.
    I’m loving the flavor combinations in this tart! Orange Blossom Water, Anise Seed… Wowza!
    Henna recently posted..Marinara SauceMy Profile

  12. Oh heavens – you are killing me with this – I read “orange blossom water scented mascarpone and heavy cream filling ” and I just wished I could dive right into that! This tart is fantastic Nazneen! I hope you find your mojo soon dear, and those ideas in your noggin get your hands and feet buzzing soon – I adore your musings and drool over your recipes and cannot wait till the next one!
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
    Shashi @ runninsrilankan recently posted..Hemp & Almond Pancakes {Recipe}My Profile

  14. Don’t be worry Nazneen, I’m sure the desire to be creative will be back soon. We’re not “machines” sometimes our brains need to be off for a while… we cannot creative 365 days a year! Btw your cake looks absolutely perfect! I’m partial to mascarpone…. so I absolutely approve your amazing cake!
    Margherita@lapetitecasserole recently posted..Hazelnut cake with apple butterMy Profile

  21. Hi Nazneen this is a beautiful tart, quite similar to the gluten free fruit flan I made this summer. I love mascarpone and it taste very well with berries. About commenting part on other blogs I am pretty flexible with it. If I find time I post and comment on other blogs if I don’t, I don’t feel bad at all. Blogging for me is hobby, not work.
    Balvinder recently posted..Apple Crumble PieMy Profile

  22. This gorgeous is the tart tailor-made for our season and especially for me. You know how much I love berries and mascarpone.
    Quality food blogging is probably one of the most labour intensive jobs I have come to know of in recent times..it comprises of multiple critical tasks bundled into one. To turn it into something meaningful or profitable (let’s rather say, make something) , I think you have to micro-manage each of those tasks. Along with that some of us have day jobs, young kids, families to manage. It is certainly not easy. People who are in similar situations I guess can sense that and will never be disappointed or upset. As for me, I always make it a point to visit a site if someone has left a comment on mine. I cannot respond to the ones on my own as all the time and energy I invest in the blog (along with other responsibilities) itself gets me extremely tired mentally and physically. I’ve tried many times but it doesn’t work. It comes to a point where you have to prioritise and that’s what I do. I feel I’d rather add to their web traffic and blog comments than adding one more to mine. That’s my thinking..I could be wrong!
    But however much I complain and fret I am still going on, in fact increased my posting to thrice a week on account of some partnerships recently. I am hoping that once the boys start school things will change and I can do more (including visiting all my friends in person :-))
    Sugar et al. recently posted..Golden Apple TartMy Profile

  23. That’s a really beautiful tart, Nazneen and I just love how you decorated it. It almost looks too good to cut into. And I love the wooden table it’s photographed on. I try very hard to visit every blogger who leaves a comment on my blog. I think that’s polite. But, like you say, there are some bloggers who leave comments on my blog who blog seven days a week and I have to confess, I can’t keep up with every single one of their posts – but I do try! xx
    Hotly Spiced recently posted..Flourless Double Chocolate CakeMy Profile

  25. Love the colors! Just gorgeous. Hope you get your food groove back soon — we all need more good stuff to eat! I’m only posting once a week, and I visit most blogs I follow once a week. A very few I’ll visit more often. And anyone who posts a comment on my blog gets a visit. I enjoy visiting other blogs and commenting, but it does take time. And we all know we don’t have enough of that! In fact that’s why I scaled back from posting twice a week — just didn’t want to invest the time. Anyway, blogging has to be fun and has to work for you, so do whatever it takes to make it work for you.
    John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted..Texas-Style Chili con CarneMy Profile

  26. Incredibly beautiful tart, Nazneen – very similar to my raspberry-mascarpone tart, but I love your addition of orange blossom water to the filling! You are brilliant.

    So, on to your etiquette question… (You knew I would weigh in, didn’t you?) First, I am not half as popular as many of you food bloggers out there… I just don’t have as many followers as you, or many of the Doristas, etc. (That isn’t a whiny complaint… I am okay with where I am.) Thus, I probably don’t have the “workload” you do.

    Like you, if someone new comes along, I check it out and subscribe if I am interested in how they present, their photos, the recipes, how they write, etc. An aside – I get a little annoyed when the only way to subscribe is RSS. I need an email in my box. 🙂 If I subscribe and then end up being bored by the content, photos, personality, etc., I will unsubscribe. (Talk about rude!)

    I do comment on all the blogs to which I subscribe. It is like a full time job. If the post is for something I cannot eat (garlic paste, for example…), I may read it but probably won’t comment. No point for me to say something sounding negative. I don’t always comment “on time,” as you know – sometimes my work life gets in the way of my social life! I try to spend Saturday mornings catching up so that I can shop on Sunday for any of the recipes I plan to make. Sometimes, I have a bout of insomnia which is a godsend when I need to catch up!

    I don’t get hurt if I don’t hear from you (or any of my other friends) but, always know, that I love every comment you make. I love the sincerity in your comments and feel I have a really good (global) community of friends. Thanks for being one!
    David recently posted..Mrs. Tolaro’s Spaghetti and MeatballsMy Profile

  28. Nazneen:

    What a gorgeous and mouthwatering tart!! The orange blossom certainly gives a nice touch to the mascarpone cream.

    I understand well when you said that you don’t have time to visit every single post from those who publish 2 or more times per week since you have to read many bloggers and also you only publish one post per week. I say the same. I would love to visit every single post but I can’t. There are many things that need to be done behind the scenes plus outside the blog. It is an insanely busy life. So I only return the visits.
    Denise Browning@From Brazil To You recently posted..Spicy Tomato Soup Shots with Mini Grilled Cheese SandwichesMy Profile

  29. This is a work of art, Nazneen, and your photography displays it in the best light. I’m sure the dinner guests were very impressed when it was presented. Now, that’s the way to end a dinner on a high note.
    I will be very interested in reading how others answer the questions you’ve posed. I, too, am looking for ways to scale back the amount of time I’m spending in WordPress without upsetting anyone. Right now, I’m trying to set a daily time limit and see how that works out. Time will tell, I guess. 🙂
    ChgoJohn recently posted..Black Rice Risotto with Roast Duck and Porcini MushroomsMy Profile

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