Summer is almost here, again. But one of the characteristic things about living in a tropical country like India is that fruits, which are typically considered summer fruits worldwide, are available only during the winters. Fruits like strawberries and blueberries, for example. And since summer is setting in, these fruits are close to saying goodbye to us.
This is why I wanted to say goodbye to the berry season in India with this delectable recipe for a super refreshing and light dessert. The recipe is for a lime and mascarpone tart topped with a blueberry compote. It's sweet, creamy, tart, and it has a buttery and flaky crust. It's perfect for people like me who can't handle overly sweet desserts; it's mild yet absolutely delicious.
What goes into this tart?
Like any tart, this one also has three components — the crust/shell, the filling, and the topping.
The shell or crust for this tart is a traditional pie crust. This pastry is crispy, flaky, and beautifully complements the flavors. It's made with very basic ingredients, cold butter, flour, water, and vinegar.
I use a food processor to make the pastry dough because it's so much easier than crumbling the butter into the flour without melting it with your hands. With a food processor, the dough comes together in no time.
The downside to making the pastry dough with a food processor is that the butter is chopped down to a fine texture, and you get a mealy dough. Luckily, you can still get a flaky tart shell by folding the dough before you refrigerate it. Refer to the figure below to know how to fold your pastry dough. This is a step that works every single time.
Next is the filling, which has two main ingredients, mascarpone cheese and limes (zest and juice). You also need heavy cream and condensed milk to make the filling. The filling is effortless to make, and there are no special techniques behind making it!
The last and arguably the most delicious component is the blueberry compote. The blueberry compote consists of 4 ingredients, fresh or frozen blueberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. It's super easy to make, and it tastes brilliant. You can also eat it with oatmeal, on toast, or just out of the jar with a spoon.
What equipment do I need?
To make the tart shell, you'll need a food processor. You can also make it with your hands in a mixing bowl.
You will need a 10-inch tart tin to bake the shell in and subsequently set the filling in.
You will need two mixing bowls, a wire whisk, an electric mixer, and a rubber spatula for the filling.
Lastly, for the compote, you will need a rubber spatula and a saucepan.
Other miscellaneous tools you'll need are a zester, a fork, and some plastic wrap.
Recipe for Lime and Mascarpone Tart With Blueberry Compote
Time: 1 hour plus chilling
Yields: One 10-inch tart
INGREDIENTS
Tart Shell:
100 grams (½ cup) cold butter, cubed
160 grams (1 ¼ cup) all-purpose flour
3 grams (¾ teaspoon) salt
60 grams (¼ cup) cold water
5 grams (1 teaspoon) white vinegar
Filling:
145 grams (1 ¾ cup) room temperature mascarpone cheese
75 grams (¼ cup) condensed milk
Zest of 2 limes
15 grams (1 tablespoon) lime juice
55 grams (¼ cup) heavy cream
Blueberry Compote:
95 grams (½ cup) fresh or frozen blueberries
12 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
2 grams (½ teaspoon) cornstarch
3 grams (1 teaspoon) lemon juice
METHOD
Tart Shell:
Add the flour and salt to a food processor and pulse it twice.
Add in the butter and pulse 3-4 times until you have a mixture that looks like wet sand.
Mix the water and vinegar together and add them to the food processor.
Pulse 2-3 times until a scraggly dough forms.
Empty the contents of the food processor into a mixing bowl and bring the pastry dough together.
Place it on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it with your fingers until it's ½ an inch thick.
Fold it over itself halfway two times.
Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and generously grease a 10-inch tart tin with butter.
Bring the chilled pastry dough out and place it on a floured surface.
Sprinkle some more flour on top of the dough and use a floured rolling pin to roll it out into a thin sheet with a thickness of ⅛ of an inch.
Carefully lift the pastry dough onto the greased tin and press it down into all the crevices gently.
Trim the excess pastry and poke vents all over the surface of the pastry using a fork.
Bake the tart shell in the preheated oven at 180°C for 18-20 minutes.
Let the baked tart shell cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge.
Filling:
Mix together the mascarpone cheese and condensed milk in a mixing bowl using a whisk or a spoon.
Add the lime zest and lime juice to it and combine well.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until you have stiff peaks.
Use a rubber spatula to fold in the whipped cream with the mascarpone filling.
Blueberry Compote:
Add the blueberries and sugar to a saucepan on medium-low heat.
Stir the mixture in intervals and let it cook until the sugar has dissolved.
Mix the lemon juice and cornstarch and add them to the blueberries.
Mix everything well and let it boil for a minute or two.
Turn off the heat and let the compote cool down completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Assembly:
Transfer the lime mascarpone filling into the cooled tart shell and use a rubber spatula or an offset spatula to spread it out evenly. Smoothen the top.
Refrigerate the tart for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Spoon the compote over the tart right before you serve.
Notes
You can also substitute the mascarpone with cream cheese if you'd like. The same goes for the blueberries; you can replace them with any berry that you want.
If you liked this recipe or tried it, let me know in the comments below or post it to my Instagram and Facebook, I'd love to see your creations!