No Bake Strawberry Mascarpone Tart
This Strawberry Mascarpone Tart recipe, from The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant, is perfect for spring or summer, requires only a handful of ingredients, and comes together quickly thanks to it's no-bake crust! This recipe can be adapted with other summer berries or stone fruit. Make Ahead Tip: The tart crust and mascarpone filling can be prepped one or two days ahead if needed - be sure to leave off the fruit until the day of serving to ensure the best crust texture and prevent the fruit from weeping.
Ingredients
Crust:
- ¾ cup (90g) graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup (90g) almond meal or almond flour
- 5 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons (50g) almond butter melted
Filling:
- 12 ounces (340g) mascarpone cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 16 ounces (2 pints) fresh strawberries stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon (20g) pure honey
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds toasted
- fresh mint leaves for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: In a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, almond meal (or flour), butter, and almond butter until combined and all the crumb are moistened. Press the crust into an 8-inch round tart pan (*the original recipe in the book was prepared in a 14-inch x 4-inch tart pan; both sizes work well for this recipe). If desired, use the bottom of a small measuring cup to tamp the crust down evenly. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling: In a bowl, stir together the room temperature mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and almond extract until creamy and well combined. Spread evenly over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour - this will ensure it slices cleanly during serving.
- The day of serving, slice the strawberries. Trim off the stems and slice vertically into thin slices. Remove the tart from the fridge and distribute the strawberry slices onto the mascarpone filling - feel free to arrange or decorate as desired. To achieve a similar look as the photos above: starting from the outside of the tart and working your way in, layer the strawberry slices next to each other, in a circular pattern with the pointed ends facing out. Repeat, layering the strawberry slices slightly with each circle and so forth.
- Drizzle the tart with honey. Garnish with sliced almonds and mint, if using. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge, covered loosely with plastic wrap if needed, until serving.
Tips for Success:
- To make graham cracker crumbs, place broken graham cracker cookies (this recipe requires roughly 6 full pieces!) in a food processor. Pulse repeatedly until finely crumbed.
- To toast almond slices, heat almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until golden in color. Transfer to a separate bowl and cool completely.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 694kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 59g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g, Cholesterol: 103mg, Sodium: 299mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 17g