Easy Fruit Tart

Easy Fruit Tart
From Joy of Baking
Serves 6-8

Shortbread Crust
1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour (for light French flour use 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 cake flour)
1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cream Filling
1/2 cup (120 ml) mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat content)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping
3 cups (720 ml) fruit (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.) I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries only

Shortbread Crust: Butter or lightly spray with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray, an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

Place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can be covered and stored for a few days.

Cream Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer or wire whisk) beat the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract just until soft peaks form. If too thick to spread, beat in a little more heavy cream.

To Assemble Tart: Evenly spread the cream onto the baked and cooled tart shell. Scatter the berries on top of the cream. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before serving to give the fruit and cream a chance to warm to room temperature.

Here is the crust recipe I use.

No Roll Pie Crust Dough

From Bon Appetit

Makes one 10 inch pie crust

3/4 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 T powered sugar

2 c. flour

Melt butter. Add sugars and stir. Add flour and stir. Spray pie plate with Pam. Press dough into plate. Refrigerate at least 30 min.