Tea Berry Tart Recipe

As September rolls in, you're looking forward to fall but not quite ready to say goodbye to summer. In the mornings you may need a sweater and slippers, and by noon you're taking them off and putting on shorts and flip flops. Why not have a tea and celebrate the change of seasons?

This Berry Tart with mascarpone cheese is a great dish to have at your tea. You can use any berries you would like. Mascarpone cheese is a great Italian cream cheese that has a soft and spreadable texture. Take caution for guests with health conditions; it is a rich, fatty, unsalted cream cheese. But it is delicious.

Berry Tart

Pie Crust

• 1 stick of unsalted butter (chilled, cut into cubes)
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg yolk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put flour and butter in a bowl and use pastry blender until mixture blends and looks like fine crumbs. (You may use your fingers.)
3. Stir in sugar and yolk.
4. Add very little cold water, just enough to make dough soft, not sticky.
5. Knead dough briefly.
6. Wrap with cellophane and chill for about 10 minutes or until ready to use.

Berry Filling

• 2 tablespoons whipped heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 1 ¾ cups of raspberries
• 1 ¾ cups of blueberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Roll out the pastry and line an 8-inch deep tart pan with the pastry.
2. Take a fork and dot holes in the base of the pastry.
3. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool.
5. Mix the cream and mascarpone.
6. Spoon into tart shell.
7. Carefully pile the raspberries and blueberries on top.
8. Sprinkle with sugar. Serve immediately and chill remaining tart.

This is also good with strawberries and blueberries.