Millcroft Inn & Spa’s Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

Looking for something extra special for Mother’s Day? This Strawberry Mascarpone Tart is a gorgeous little showstopper, shared by the talented Pastry Chef Karen Souillet, and it’s bursting with bright citrus, creamy filling, and fresh berries. It’s simple enough to make at home but elegant enough to make Mom feel truly celebrated.

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

Yields 1 x 10″ tart

Ingredients for Pastry:

110 g Unsalted butter, soft
50 g Sugar
1 medium Egg
Zest of ¼ orange (3/4 zest for filling)
½ tsp Vanilla extract
210 g All purpose flour
Small pinch of salt

Ingredients for Filling:

500 g Mascarpone cheese
Juice of 1 Orange and zest ¾ orange
2 tbsp Soft light brown sugar
400 g Fresh cut halves/quarters of strawberries
1 tsp Vanilla
Jam of choice (strawberry, black currant, lemon curd)

Method:

1. Make the pastry by placing all ingredients in food processor and pulsing gently until soft dough forms.
2. Flatten the dough to half an inch thick, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼‑inch thickness, then gently press it into a 10-inch loose‑bottom tart pan. Trim any excess dough with a small knife and freeze the shell for 15 minutes.
4. Line the tart shell with parchment paper, fill it with baking beans to keep the crust from puffing up, and bake at 350°F for 13–15 minutes. Pastry should be set but not fully cooked.
5. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes, remove parcel of beans and place back in the oven until baked golden brown.
6. Remove the tart shell from oven to cool.
7. While the crust cools, combine the mascarpone cheese with the orange juice and zest. Add the brown sugar and vanilla, then mix until smooth and well blended.
8. At this stage, you can spread a thin layer of jam over the bottom of the tart shell.
9. Spread in mascarpone cream and top with strawberries.

Tips:

If you’d like to make the tart a day ahead, brush the pastry with melted white chocolate first—this creates a barrier that keeps the crust from turning soft.