Mascarpone Cream Cheese Berry Tart with Lemon Curd

OK seriously. This weather is giving me whiplash. I think I'll just go with "It's spring" and move on because this is just getting ridiculous. Agreed? Excellent. Let's jump right into spring with a mascarpone cream cheese berry tart with homemade lemon curd!

A puff pastry dessert tart is one of my favorite go to's for any holiday get together. It looks amazingly fancy but in reality is so easy to make! That is, if you're not waiting till the last minute to make a puff pastry dough from scratch. My secret? Oh heyyyyy freezer aisle!

This is one of my food cheats that's 100% totally worth it. If you have the time (and energy), absolutely go ahead and make the dough at home! But in order for this mascarpone cream cheese berry tart to be a quick, luxurious fix for you spring get together (Easter anyone??), it is essential the puff pastry is ready to go at a moments notice. Ergo, the freezer section at the store. Have no shame friends! I've found the classic Pepperidge farm brand does the trick.

Quick note about that homemade lemon curd. Ummm HOW have I not known about this before?! Lemon curd is DE-licious, and way easier to make than you'd think? The absolute, ultimate trick, is DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT cook on anything other than low heat. Patience is a virtue with this custardy sauce. It needs to very, very slowly warm up to just ever so slightly steaming in order to thicken. Otherwise, you'll start to scramble the eggs.

Gross. Let's skip that monstrosity and just keep the heat on low ????.

Honestly, this mascarpone cream cheese berry tart just makes me happy. It even looks like Spring! Colorful berries, fresh mint, with a drizzle of lemon curd? And the mascarpone cream cheese spread?? It goes without saying...????????????. I added a little lemon juice and some powdered sugar for a hint of both sour and sweet that pairs perfectly with the lemon curd.

Trust me on this one. Go grab yourself a slice and call it Spring ????.

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Mascarpone Cream Cheese Berry Tart with Lemon Curd

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• Author: Aberdeen
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Tart

• 1 puff pastry sheet, homemade or store bought, thawed
• 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 cups assorted berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
• Fresh mint, roughly chopped

For the Lemon Curd

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
• Pinch of coarse salt

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Instructions

Make the Lemon Curd

1. In a medium sauce pan over low heat, whisk together butter, sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt until combined.
2. Add eggs one at a time, whisking until fully mixed each time.
3. Cook over low heat about 8-9 minutes, whisking frequently, until somewhat thickened. Remove from heat and cool completely. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Make the Tart

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour.
2. Place puff pastry sheet on top of the dusted paper. Being careful not to cut completely through the pastry, slice a ½ inch edge all the way round. Poke the puff pastry in the middle a few times with a fork.
3. Bake pastry 14 -15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from heat and gently press the center down. Let cool about 10-15 minutes until around room temperature.
4. While pastry is cooling, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, lemon juice and vanilla together with an electric mixer until smooth. Sift in powdered sugar and beat again until smooth.
5. Gently spread mascarpone mixture in a thin layer on top of the puff pastry.
6. Top with berries as desired. Drizzle with cooled lemon curd and garnish with fresh mint.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes