This summer tart is a perfect foil for delicious and juicy-ripe stone fruit.
The lemon scented mascarpone filling and pat-in-the-pan toasted almond crust send it over the top….absolutely delightful! Roasting the fruit first intensifies the flavor and makes it even more scrumptious.
We rescued blemished stone fruit from our local grocery store; luckily they were marked down in price because they were bruised, but still firm and were perfect for this recipe. Sometimes fruit becomes bruised in the supermarket from too much handling, and it can become food waste or, in few cases, it is sold at a lower price. Ask your grocer for any bruised fruit that is slated to go to the trash bin, and they may be able to sell it to you at a reduced price, instead of it eventually becoming landfill and contributing to pollution. Join our Ugly Produce is Beautiful℠ Educational Campaign, helping to bring awareness to our Nation’s enormous food waste problem. This recipe shows you how to use ugly produce in beautiful and delicious desserts!
PIE RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
For the Almond Tart Crust:
1/2 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted; can use hazelnuts
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
For the Mascarpone Filling:
1 pound (about 2 cups) mascarpone, can be cold from the refrigerator; measure in cup meant for dry ingredients and level to rim
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons lemon or orange peel; measure after mincing
1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla paste
For the Roasted Stone Fruit Topping:
5 apricots
1 pound medium (about 5) peaches or nectarines, ripe but still firm
1/2 pound Bing cherries
1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar, optional
1/4 cup honey, warmed
NOTES:
Roast measured almonds in a heavy-bottomed pan on the stovetop under medium-low heat, stirring often, until lighty browned. Remove from heat and let cool
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP I: HEAT THE OVEN. MAKE THE ALMOND TART CRUST
1. Position an oven shelf to the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter and flour a 10- to 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
3. In a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, grind the toasted and cooled nuts with flour, sugar, and salt, until finely ground.
4. Add the butter and pulse the mixture well.
5. Beat the egg yolk with the water.
Add this yolk mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time to the flour and egg mixture, pulsing after each addition, and pulse mixture until it forms a dough.
6. Press dough onto bottom and up side of a prepared tart pan.
7. Bake crust for 25 minutes, or until browned lightly.
8. Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees F to roast the stone fruit in Step III
9. Cool the crust in its pan on a wire cake rack.
STORAGE
Crust may be made 3 days ahead and kept covered in a cool dry place.
STEP II: PREPARE THE MASCARPONE FILLING.
1. Mix the mascarpone with the sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla in a medium bowl.
The mascarpone mixture will warm as you stir it.
2. Place the tart pan on a baking pan.
Spread the mascarpone mixture onto the cooled crust using a metal offset spatula.
3. Chill the tart, uncovered, for an hour or more until set.
STEP III: PREPARE AND ROAST THE STONE FRUIT
While the filling chills, prepare the roasted fruit.
Make sure the oven is heated to 400 degrees F.
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick mat or with foil. Do NOT use parchment paper.
2. Cut apricots in half, and remove the pits.
3. Cut the peaches into large wedges and pit.
4. Optionally sprinkle the fruit with sugar and place it on a prepared baking sheet.
5. Cut each cherry horizontally, then twist the two sides apart and pry out the pit.
Optionally, sprinkle the cherry halves with sugar and place them on one end of the pan.
6. Roast the fruit for 15 minutes, then remove the cherries to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Set aside.
7. Continue to roast the apricots and peaches for 5-10 more minutes, or until tender.
Optionally, without moving the pan, turn on the broiler, and brown the tops of the fruit for about 5 to 10 minutes, taking care that they don’t burn.
This will give them some color on top, if needed.
8. Move the peaches and apricots to the parchment lined baking sheet to cool.
STEP IV: ASSEMBLE THE TART AND SERVE.
1. Remove the chilled mascarpone filled tart from the refrigerator.
2. Arrange the cooled roasted fruit on top.
3. Warm the honey and lightly brush it over the fruit.
4. Chill the tart for at least 30 minutes to set the filling. This is recommended.
SERVE
1. Remove the sides of the tart pan and loosen the tart from the bottom of the pan using a thin icing spatula or long knife. Slide it off the pan’s bottom and place the tart on a serving platter.
2. Cut into wedges and serve.
STORAGE
Store tart in the refrigerator where it will keep for about 2 to 3 days. The filled tart does not freeze.
