Mascarpone Cream Tart with Fresh Summer Fruit & Lemon Curd

Nothing screams summer more than a FRUIT TART! Ok, I'll calm down a little, but seriously, for one, I am a fruit addict. I always have at least 10 different variety of fresh fruits on hand at ALL times, and then there is shortbread. O.M.G. You can have all the chocolate in the world, just don't take my shortbread cookies from me! Pepperidge farm makes these super crunchy and buttery Shortbread cookies and so I decided to smash them up with my rolling pin and turn them into a delectable crust for my fruit tart. Oh so good!

This is officially my favorite summer dessert! Did I mention that yet? I came across this cherry pitter on a recent trip to Williams Sonoma. I have to admit, I am no kitchen gadget junkie. In fact, I usually prefer no gadget but the good ole paring knife. But after pitting by hand hundred of cherries so far this summer, I opted for this Oxo Cherry Pitter and thought I'd give it a try. Wow this thing is amazing! I was done in a fraction of the time, and the best part of all? No Mess! Seriously I'm walking around right now without cherry-dyed fingers. That's pretty amazing...

I then decided that what better than lemon curd with whipped cream, mascarpone, and cream cheese to make the most decadent and creamy filling. It is absolutely the best, nothing else compares. I had to stop myself from eating it from the bowl before even filling the tart! Ahh!!

You could add any fruit you'd like to top, but I chose the freshly pitted cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and the pomegranate arils for a little crunch. Top with a snippet of peppermint and you are set! This no bake dessert will be a hit for any summertime party! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Crust Ingredients:

2 bags of Pepperidge Farm Shortbread Cookies
1 stick of melted unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar

Directions for tart crust. I used a 9x9" square tart pan (@ Williams Sonoma) but can use 9" round. Place all the cookies in a large ziploc bag along with the Tablespoon of sugar and smash them with your rolling pin. You could also throw them in your food processor and process until fine and even. Place them in a bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Dump it into the tart pan and spread out evenly along the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Set in freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerator for 1-2 hours.


Filling:
1/2 block Cream Cheese (I used Organic Valley)
1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy whipping cream (I use Organic Valley)
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 8 oz container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup of lemon curd (Store bought or homemade *See Recipe below).                             

  1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste 

Directions:
Place cold heavy cream in a deep bowl or stand mixer bowl. I used my kitchenaid hand mixer and Whip until light and fluffy about 2-3 minutes, do not over whip. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste, blend together. In a separate bowl, blend both softened cheeses on low until incorporated and smooth, careful not to over whip. Add creamed cheeses mixture to the whipped cream and blend on low. Fold in the lemon curd and zest.
Remove tart after well chilled and add filling inside. Level it out and chill for 20-30 minutes in the freezer or 1-2 hours in the fridge. Once chilled and firm, add fresh fruit to the top as desired. May serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top!
  

 *Homemade Lemon Curd:

1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
3 organic large eggs

In a saucepan, add lemon juice, zest, butter, eggs, and sugar. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, just before boiling and until thick enough to coat the back of a spatula. Refrigerate until chilled before using in filling.


Filling recipe adapted from Foodiecrush.