STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE TART WITH PORT GLAZE

Prep Time: 2 Hours
Yields: 8 Servings

Comment:
This time of year, you can’t have too many fruit tarts. Here, ripe strawberries drizzled with Port glaze top a luxurious no-bake mascarpone filling. The press-in crust, by the way, is a breeze to make.

Ingredients for Tart Shell:
1¼ cups flour
3 tbsps granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
7 tbsps unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsps cold water

Ingredient for Filling and Glaze:
1½ pounds strawberries, trimmed and halved lengthwise
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup ruby Port
1 pound mascarpone
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp grated lemon zest
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method for Tart Shell:
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter then blend with fingertips or a pastry blender just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice and water. Drizzle yolk mixture over flour mixture then stir until all is incorporated. Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms. Gently knead 4–5 more times. Press dough into a 5-inch disk, place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using 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 with a fork and freeze until firm, approximately 10 minutes. Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Place pie on center rack of oven and 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, approximately 20 additional minutes. Remove and let cool in pan. Prepare filling while cooling shell.

Method for Filling and Glaze:
In a large bowl, combine strawberries and granulated sugar then let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain mixture through a sieve over a small saucepan, reserve berries then set aside. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduce to ¼ cup, 10–15 minutes. Transfer glaze to a small bowl to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla and a pinch salt, whisking until stiff.

Method of Assembly:
Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, top with reserved strawberries then drizzle with Port glaze.