It started with one photo. I cannot give any credit to anything else, except this one photo, which popped up on my newsfeed as a sponsored post and I took one look and thought - yes.
I have to say, rarely do I start a new baking project with an image in mind, but this one, yes I did it for the photo. The fact that it tastes really really good is a bonus unto itself, but I have to admit, I did it for the photo opp.
So googling based on what I knew about the image (tart, blueberries, donna hay), I found this divine recipe. This in turn triggered a panicked runaround looking for a "33 x 9" loose-bottomed rectangular pan, which proved impossible on short notice on a Saturday afternoon, so I then used two 20cm round, loose-bottom tart pans instead.
(Recipe from Donna Hay)
blueberry and lemon mascarpone tart
- 500g mascarpone
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
- ½ cup (80g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
- 375g blueberries
- icing (confectioner’s) sugar, for dusting
sweet shortcrust pastry
- 1½ cups (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
- 125g cold butter, chopped
- ½ cup (80g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon iced water
To make the pastry, place the flour, butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a food processor (I used my KitchenAid, it was fine) and process in short bursts until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add the egg yolk and vanilla. Add the iced water and process until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together to form a ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) (and around 160 for fan-forced). Roll the pastry out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick. Line a lightly greased 33cm x 9cm loose-bottomed rectangular tart tin (or two 20cm diameter loose-bottomed round tart tin) with the pastry. Trim the edges and prick (not drill a hole) the base with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper, fill with baking weights or rice and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and the weights (without punching in the loose bottom by sheer oven mitt hand clumsiness and destroying a tart) and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool. While the tart is baking, make the filling. Place the mascarpone, lemon and icing sugar in a bowl and mix well to combine. Spread onto the base of the cooled tart shell, top with the blueberries and dust with icing sugar to serve (I don't think it needs the extra sugar!).
One more thing: Thanks to @MasterChefAu for regramming this as part of the #MyTop24Dish selections. Watch the premiere of Series 6 this Monday May 5 at 7:30 on Channel Ten!