Nectarine And Mascarpone Tart In Gingersnap Crust Food

NECTARINE AND MASCARPONE TART IN GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
• For filling:
• Beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in crystallized ginger. Spread filling in prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• For topping:
• Overlap nectarine slices atop filling in concentric circles. Brush with jam. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger. Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.
• Italian cream cheese available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

FRESH FRUIT TART WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For Crust:.
• In a medium bowl, combine ground cookies and sugar. With a pastry blender or two knives, add butter-flavored shortening and mix until moist clumps form. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of 10" removable bottom tart pan. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Watch carefully as it can easily burn at the end of the cooking time. Let cool.
• For Filling:.
• Combine cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice with electric mixer until well blended. Add whipping cream and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Spread in tart shell and chill several hours.
• Arrange fruit on top of chilled filling. Combine preserves with water and brush over top. Garnish and serve.

HONEY APPLE AND NECTARINE TART WITH WHIPPED MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface and cut into 4 even squares. Separate the squares and leave some room between them on the baking sheet. Create a border around the inside of each square by scoring about 1/2-inch around the inside the square. Prick the dough inside the small square. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• On each pastry square, overlap slices of apple and nectarine, within the border.
• Brush fruit on each tart, with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Bake tarts until pastry is golden and apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Drizzle each tart with 1 teaspoon honey. Transfer tarts to racks; cool 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• While tarts are cooling, whisk mascarpone with orange liqueur. Top each cooled tart with a dollop of flavored mascarpone.