Almond Apricot Lemon Mascarpone Tart

For the Night to Be Observed this year, I was in charge of desserts for a rather large crowd…somewhere around 12 adults and gobs of kids as well. The twist was, I had to make my desserts in someone else’s kitchen (as I was visiting friends in Atlanta), and also then have the travel to someone *else’s* house over an hour away for the actual meal.

And of course, they had to be unleavened. So I poked around all sorts of recipes for quite a long time, and finally settled on an amazing flourless chocolate cake that’s not too rich, and then this delicious lemon mascarpone tart. And being me, I had to find a way to add almond extract and apricot jam, two of my true loves.

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s actually quite easy, doesn’t require tons of hands-on time, and can be made ahead. There are a few steps (so you have to plan ahead), but you can do each one and then set it aside for a while to do other things. And it won’t be taking up valuable oven space as you get ready for company.

As always…disclaimer: I keep the Days of Unleavened Bread (the week following Passover) as laid out in the bible, so I avoid leavening (sometimes called a rising agent). This can be things like yeast, baking powder, etc. (definition here). My understanding is that some Jewish people (particularly Orthodox Jews) may keep these days differently and also avoid flour and certain grains. I can’t speak to that in any way, and only you know how you keep the Days of Unleavened Bread. So please don’t send me angry comments, you have been warned

To prepare the crust, cream together the butter and sugar til fluffy using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. Mix in the vanilla, then beat in the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat on low until just incorporated, and be careful not to over mix.

Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Yes, this is critical—no, you can’t skip this step.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease (very well!) a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Once the dough has chilled, roll the dough out quite thin on your counter or between wax paper. Press the dough into the tart pan and up the sides. Using a fork, score light holes (don’t poke all the way through the pastry) all throughout so it doesn’t puff up like crazy.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to lightly brown. If it does puff up a bit, just press it down gently when you remove from oven. Cool completely in the pan.

Once the pastry is cooled, microwave your apricot jam in a bowl to make it easier to spread. Then spread on the crust as your first layer. If time allows, you could throw in the fridge for like 15 minutes to then solidify it, but it’s not a must if you’re tight on time.

Finally, prepare the filling by stirring together the mascarpone, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, almond extract, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Make sure to taste it, if it’s too sweet then you can add a bit more lemon juice, or even get some more zest in there. While it’s a lemon mascarpone tart, you want to make sure the almond flavor comes through, as it will pair amazingly with the apricot jam and brings something unique.

Spread the mixture evenly over the jam in your tart shell. I find my mascarpone is a bit thicker than I like so sometimes I slacken down with a tiny bit of cream, but it will work regardless.

Decorate with berries, or whatever else catches your fancy. Chill the tart until ready to serve, though I personally like to let it sit out for 15-20 minutes before serving just to take the edge off the cold (and let the flavors shine through a bit more).

The thing is, it’s actually really easy and comes together quickly in terms of hands-on time. As long as you have the time for the different steps over the course of an afternoon or even a whole day, it’s not fussy and is quite flexible. It’s great to make ahead for a group, particularly if you’ll need to have hands on other dishes closer to serving.

Related recipes you’ll love:

Crust

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Filling

1/2 cup (or more) of apricot jam
1 pound (16 ounces) of mascarpone cheese (you can use a bit less)
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
For topping: Fresh berries (washed, hulled, sliced) tossed with a little sugar & water; let sit for at least an hour and garnish with mint

To prepare the crust, cream together the butter and sugar til fluffy using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. Mix in the vanilla, then beat in the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat on low until just incorporated, and be careful not to over mix.
Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Yes, this is critical—no, you can’t skip this step.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease (very well!) a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
Once the dough has chilled, roll the dough out quite thin on your counter or between wax paper. Press the dough into the tart pan and up the sides. Using a fork, score light holes (don’t poke all the way through the pastry) all throughout so it doesn’t puff up like crazy.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to lightly brown. If it does puff up a bit, just press it down gently when you remove from oven. Cool completely in the pan.
Once the pastry is cooled, microwave your apricot jam in a bowl to make it easier to spread. Then spread on the crust as your first layer. If time allows, you could throw in the fridge for like 15 minutes to then solidify it, but it’s not a must if you’re tight on time.
Finally, prepare the filling by stirring together the mascarpone, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, almond extract, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Make sure to taste it, if it’s too sweet then you can add a bit more lemon juice, or even get some more zest in there. Spread the mixture evenly over the jam in your tart shell, then decorate with berries. Chill until ready to serve, though I like to let it sit out for 15-20 minutes just to take the edge off the cold before I serve it.

Adapted from My Baking Addiction

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