Almond and Berry Mascarpone Tart

This almond and berry mascarpone tart is a creamy and light amaretto mascarpone filling in an almond shortbread crust. Top with fresh berries for an easy, but elegant dessert.

Today's recipe is one that I love to prepare for Sunday dinner or when entertaining. It is not a fussy dessert and can be prepared ahead, which is always a win when entertaining guests.

The mascarpone filling is a bit lighter in texture than a cheesecake, but not as light as a mousse. The filling is creamy and smooth and not overly sweet. It's the perfect ending to a meal or for any celebration.

Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

IS MASCARPONE LIKE CREAM CHEESE?

Mascarpone is an Italian soft cheese. It has a higher fat content than cream cheese, which makes it richer and creamier. Mascarpone can be used in either sweet or savory recipes. Here's a great article from The Spruce Eats that gives some more information on mascarpone cheese.

WHERE DO YOU FIND MASCARPONE CHEESE?

Most grocery stores will carry mascarpone cheese. It is typically near the deli section or with the specialty cheeses, not with the cream cheese. I often find that Trader Joe's has the best price for it.

LET'S MAKE THIS ALMOND AND BERRY MASCARPONE TART!

This mascarpone tart recipe can easily be made ahead of time. You will need to plan for 30 minutes of chill time on the tart crust prior to baking it. Be sure to keep that in mind, it's one step I often forget about!

The crust comes together with all purpose flour, almond flour, salt, powdered sugar, unsalted butter and a whisked egg. I love using Bob's Red Mill's Superfine Natural Almond Flour. This post isn't sponsored, I'm just a huge fan of their products!

I use my pastry cutter to mix the dry ingredients and then work in the unsalted butter. When the dough has started to come together, add in the whisked egg and blend until fully combined.

Then press the dough into a non-greased 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. The dough is sticky!! Lightly moisten your fingers with water as needed while pressing the dough into the tart pan. Once the dough is pressed into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan, prick the dough several times with a fork. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven while the tart crust is freezing. Then bake the crust until it's lightly golden brown. This takes about 25-30 minutes. If the tart shell has shrunk at all while baking, use a flat bottomed measuring cup to lightly press the dough back up the sides when just out of the oven. Please use caution as the tart shell will be hot.

Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling. If you want to speed up this process, let it cool about 10 minutes and then place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

HOW TO MAKE THE MASCARPONE TART FILLING

Start by whipping the heavy cream and powdered sugar until still peaks. I find this takes about 2-3 minutes when using my hand-held mixer on medium high. Set the whipped cream aside.

Next whip the mascarpone cheese (no need to bring it to room temperature), honey, amaretto liqueur and vanilla on medium until well combined. This takes 1-2 minutes with a hand-held mixer.

Then fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with a spatula. Once combined, spoon the mixture into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top as desired.

Finally, top the mascarpone tart filling with fresh berries. I've used blackberries and blueberries here, but have also used raspberries and pomegranate arils. It would also be phenomenal with figs. I only decorated part of the tart for the photos, but I place berries on each slice when serving. I also garnished with a few almond slices, but that is optional.

This almond and berry mascarpone tart recipe is easy enough for any night, but is elegant enough for special meals too. I love that the dessert is light and not overly sweet. It's truly a lovely ending to any meal and is approved by both of my sugar bugs!

OTHER NON-FUSSY DESSERTS FOR ENTERTAINING

• Crumbly Almond Cake
• Coconut Pecan Tart

To pin this recipe, you can use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of the page. Come follow me on Pinterest and Instagram to see all the things that inspire me. Thank you for being here and happy baking!

Recipe shared with Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck