This Plum Mascarpone Tart continues a family dessert tradition, incorporating spectacular dark plums from the farmers’ market and pairing them with luscious mascarpone cheese.
Each year, as a child at summer’s end, my Aunt Hanna made the best plum tart. She prepared it from memory, recalling happier times when she baked plum tarts as a young bride in Ukraine decades ago, and it became a staple in my family in America.
Baking was a weekend project. After Ukrainian school on Saturday morning, I was hungry and loved hanging out in the kitchen, tasting whatever was being prepared for dinner. I remember watching Aunt Hannah deftly nestle halves of juicy Italian or Damson plums in a batter of flour, sugar, egg, milk and various sweet spices to create this glorious dessert. I eagerly waited for dinner to end so I could indulge in a slice of golden pastry laced with rivulets of dark red plum juice, lightly dusted with powdered sugar. The memory of these annual plum desserts inspired this post.
Why did I combine these ingredients?
The plum’s natural sweetness and acidity are often highlighted by traditional pairings. Over the years, I‘ve baked buttery plum kuchens gently spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, plum upside-down cakes, plum cobblers and crumbles, plum frangipane galettes (https://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/italian-plum-ginger-frangipane-tart/) and tarts with various plum, fruit and herb combinations. However, my favorite plum dessert is a clafoutis, a decadent combination of plums with dairy and egg custard. In developing this recipe, I focused on incorporating other classic flavors that pair well with plums, ensuring that every flavor in this recipe takes its rightful place.
Plum Mascarpone Tart Filling ingredients
Black Splendor Plums-Aunt Hannah’s tart always depended on sweet and juicy Italian or Damson prune plums, which are hard to find in Chicago. So, I searched for a plum substitute in flavor and color. After tasting several varieties, I chose Black Splendor, with its dark purple, smoky skin and incredibly sweet, deep burgundy flesh surrounding a large center stone. The subtle tartness of the dark skin, combined with the sweet, firm, deep red flesh, was appealing not only because it tastes great but also for its dramatic appearance. This taste profile makes Black Splendor an exciting ingredient to pair with delicate cheese. For more information about Black Splendor plums, see https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Black_Splendor_Plums_12273.php
The plums selected for this tart were not rock hard, but slightly soft to the touch, without bruises or blemishes, and had a sweet yet tart, slightly floral fragrance. These plums are at their sweetest and juiciest. Other plums may be substituted for the Black Splendor, but may require adjustment of the tart’s sweetness and tartness.
Mascarpone – I chose mascarpone because it is a delicate, soft cheese, fresh with a light dairy aroma, without a sharp or tangy taste. Mascarpone is a cow’s milk cheese made from cream and citric acid that originated in Italy’s Lombardy region during the Renaissance. Produced domestically or imported, it is a triple-cream cheese with a rich, smooth texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Mascarpone’s creaminess pairs well with Black Splendor’s sweetness. For more information on mascarpone, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascarpone
If mascarpone is not available, an equal amount of full-fat cream cheese, may be substituted; however, it will have a less creamy taste.
Citrus – Various citrus fruits can add a refreshing accent to plums. Lemon juice and zest, which I chose, brighten the plum’s sweetness. A few spoons of limoncello or lemon extract further enhance this tart’s discrete lemon flavor and aroma. Orange zest and juice are possible substitutes.
Almond—There is a close genetic relationship between almonds and plums, and as a result, they complement each other well. An almond crust, enhanced with almond paste or extract, adds a nutty essence and enhances the natural sweetness of the plum. A garnish of sliced almonds brings a crunch to this tart.
Plum Mascarpone Tart pastry ingredients
These four ingredients balance each other and produce a Plum Mascarpone Tart with a unique flavor greater than the sum of its parts!
There are four simple steps to this tart: preparing the almond shortcrust shell, cutting and macerating the plums, preparing the custard filling and baking. Preparation of each step takes less than 15 minutes, with time allowed for chilling in between. The crust can be prepared a day or two ahead and refrigerated; the remaining steps should be prepared on the day of serving.
Tips for a tasty tart
- Baking requires greater accuracy than cooking. Weighing ingredients ensures accurate reproduction of this recipe. Thus, this recipe provides weights of ingredients in ounces and grams.
- Gentle handling of pastry ingredients is recommended to minimize gluten development to a tender texture. Ingredients should be kept cold to prevent the butter from melting.
- Only a light dusting of flour should be used when handling dough to prevent it from becoming tough.
- Dough should be chilled before rolling to reduce shrinkage during baking. When placing the rolled-out pastry in the tart pan, avoid stretching the dough. Gently push it with your fingers to fit the sides and bottom of the tart pan, and refrigerate it for one hour before adding pie weights. The pastry should be cold when placed in the heated oven.
- All filling ingredients should be at room temperature to blend smoothly and spread in a cold, pre-baked crust.
- Plums should be cut into thin slices and mixed with sugar and tapioca or Clear Jel* mixture at least 30 minutes before assembling the tart. I use Clear Jel because, during baking, it captures and gelatinizes plum juices, glazing the plum slices and preventing tart sogginess. For more information on ClearJel, see https://www.simplycanning.com/clear-jel/
- Plums should be gently arranged on top of the batter. While baking, the plums will sink slightly into the batter but remain visible in the baked tart.
This Plum Mascarpone Tart is a visually stunning dessert that is perfect for any occasion. It is elegant but easy to make, and, as my recipe tester says “a keeper” — worth the effort.
This Plum Mascarpone Tart, with a buttery sweet almond crust, topped with black plums, and a delicious custard made with mascarpone, egg, milk, and a little bit of sour cream, exquisitely balances sweetness, creaminess and tanginess. It is a memorable dessert.
Plum Mascarpone Tart
For the crust:
7 ounces (200 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 ounces (50 g) ground almonds
Pinch salt
2 ounces (50 g) powdered sugar, sifted
4.5 ounces (125 g) unsalted cold butter, cut into small cubes
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon almond paste or extract
1 large organic egg, beaten
1-2 tablespoons whole milk, cold, more if needed
For the filling:
3-6 plums, depending on size
1 teaspoon tapioca flour or ClearJel Cook Type starch
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 ounces (213 g) mascarpone or cream cheese, room temperature
2.5 ounces (70 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 large yolk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons limoncello or 1 teaspoon lemon extract
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup (120 ml) raspberry or apricot jam for glazing
½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Preparing crust and prebaking:
Food processor method: Place all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, sugar and butter in the bowl of the food processor and pulse 3-5 times until the mixture resembles coarse sand or breadcrumbs. Add lemon zest, egg, almond paste or extract, and milk, one tablespoon at a time, through the funnel and pulse a few more times, stopping as soon as the mixture holds together. Do not overmix. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, lightly flour it, wrap it, and chill for at least 30 minutes to overnight before using.
Manual method: Sift flour, salt and powdered sugar in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter.
Chill your hands under cold running water to make them as cold as possible and dry. Working quickly with cold fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand or breadcrumbs.
Stir the lemon zest, eggs, almond paste or extract, and milk into the flour mixture, and then quickly shape the mixture into a ball of dough. (Handle the pastry as little as possible, just to bring it together to a smooth dough.)
Place the dough on a lightly floured counter and pat it into a flat disk. Lightly flour the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
Pastry dough before refrigeration
When ready to bake the pastry shell, lightly grease a 10-inch (24 cm) loose-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray. Roll out the pastry to a 12-inch (30 cm) diameter, ⅛ inch (0.32 cm) thick circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer the dough to the prepared tart pan, without stretching, gently easing it into the bottom and sides of the pan. Firmly press the dough into the edges of the pan and flatten or trim the top edge with the pan rim. Prick the crust all over with a fork to prevent puffing up during baking. Chill or freeze for at least half an hour or up to one day.
Crust ready for blind baking
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with a sheet of aluminum foil that is a few inches larger than the tart pan. Add about 1 pound (500 g) of pie weights (or dried beans) to the rim of the pan and bake for 20 minutes, until the sides of the crust are lightly golden. Remove the foil and pie weights, then return the crust to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, until the bottom is fully cooked.
Preparing plums: Wash and dry the plums. Then slice the plums in half, remove the stone, and cut them into ¼-inch (0.64 cm) slices. In a small bowl, whisk together tapioca starch (or Clear Jel) and sugar. Transfer the cut plums to a medium bowl and coat them with a tapioca (or ClearJel) sugar mixture. Set aside.
Sliced plums ready for sugar and ClearJel
Preparing the filling: All filling ingredients should be at room temperature. Place mascarpone and sugar into a large mixer bowl and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Beat in eggs and yolks until combined. Scrape sides of the bowl, if needed. Then whisk in lemon zest and juice and sour cream until smooth. Then stir in the limoncello or extract.
Assembling and baking tart: If needed, reheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Pour the custard filling into the room-temperature baked crust and smooth it out. Arrange the plum slices in overlapping rows on top of the filling and drizzle with the accumulated juices. Sprinkle sliced almonds around the edge.
Assembled tart ready for baking
Bake for about 45-60 minutes, until the crust is golden, the plums are tender, and the custard is set.
Baked Plum Mascarpone Tart
Cool on a rack to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve at room temperature. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Serves 8-10
Any leftover tart can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
*ClearJel, a modified corn starch used by commercial bakeries for fruit pies, can be purchased online. I use Hoosier Hill Farm ClearJel Cooktype Powder, which requires heat to trigger jelling and works best for pie filling made with uncooked fruit. Note that another version of this thickener, ClearJel Instant does not require heat and jells on contact with liquid but works best with cooked fruit fillings. For a more detailed description of ClearJel, see https://www.simplycanning.com/clear-jel/
Photo credits: All photos: Slava Johnson
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