It’s Thanksgiving here in Canada and I have the perfect dessert recipe to bring to your the family dinner, a strawberry mascarpone tart.
Now during this time many people jump on the pumpkin bandwagon – but if I am being honest I do not really like pumpkin pie. So instead I was searching for a dessert that was not pumpkin related yet still perfect to end a Thanksgiving meal.
Behold, the perfect recipe: a strawberry mascarpone tart with a port reduction. Doesn’t this recipe scream decadence and flavour. Trick question, obviously it does.
The recipe is quite simple, but I will warn you making the pie crust takes time. Especially if you do not have a food processor. With that being said it is still possible to make the tart shell without a food processor- and you will be entitled to half the tart solely because of how many calories you burn make this crust. So I guess it’s a win-win situation 😉
GIVING THANKS
This recipe is the perfect dessert because it is not to sweet and the strawberries act as the main star of the dish. The addition of the port glaze compliments the strawberries by adding rich plum and berry notes.
The port I use in this recipe comes directly from Portugal. You can read about my experiences in Portugal here.
For those who are averse to cheese, do not fret. Mascarpone cheese is actually very fresh and creamy. The lemon zest adds a delightful citrusy touch.
And finally, as a note, this recipe makes one 9 inch strawberry mascarpone tart. This is perfect enough to feed a family of five or more. Or one person… if you are a glutton like me 🙂
However, the photos in the post show two small 4.5 inch tarts. If this is something you want, head to the notes section of the recipe to find the adjustments.
Strawberry Mascarpone Tart With A Port Reduction
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter chilled, cubed, (7 tbsp)
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling
- 1 lb strawberries quartered, sliced
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 454 grams mascarpone cheese (a small tin)
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp port
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl or food processor, combine butter and flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, water and icing sugar. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and pulse until the dough begins to form. Roll pastry into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Remove pastry and place between two sheets of wax paper. Or onto a floured surface. Roll until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Drape pastry over pie dish and assemble as needed. Poke the base of the tart with a fork and place in freezer for 10 minutes. Cook pastry for 20-30 minutes or until the dough looks golden. Remove and let cool completely. See notes.
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Place strawberries and sugar in a small bowl. Mix and let rest for 30 minutes, allowing the juice to develop.
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Mix mascarpone, lemon zest and icing sugar together. If the mixture is thick, add a splash of cream or milk. Spread mixture into the prepared tart. Strain strawberries into a small saucepan and add the port. Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. It should reduce to 1/2 its size.
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Spread the strawberries over the top of the mascarpone cheese and drizzle the port reduction over the strawberries. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve. This dessert is best served and eaten the day of, however it can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
* This recipe makes enough dough for one very large pie dish or a regular pie dish plus 2 small 4.5 inch tarts. Alternatively you could also just use the excess pie dough to make a thicker base and thicker decoration around the pie.
To make two 4.5 inch tarts, make the following adjustments:
- 1/2 lb of strawberries, quartered and sliced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp port
- 1/4 of the tart pastry recipe
In order to cook your pie dough you will blind bake it then double bake it. Check out this link here that helps you determine how to blind bake. You will essentially drape parchment or foil over your pie dough and weight it down with pie weights, dry beans or rice, or anything heavy.
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Thanksgiving is a time to get together with family, friends and loved ones to celebrate all that we are blessed with in life. I want to take this time to give my thoughts and prayers to all the people that are suffering in the world out there. There are many tragedies that are happening and it is completely heartbreaking. Let us make the world a better place by being more understanding, open minded and forgiving. Let’s spread love and kindness as we go through this journey of life.
