Mascarpone Tart with Honey, Oranges, and Pistachios

Well, for Easter I tried this tart, and it was a big hit. Not only that, but it only required one bowl for mixing, which is always a plus :) I used my own pie crust, but you can use pre-packaged ones to save time. The end result looks very fancy, and is light and creamy.

The recipe is from the March 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. The recipe can be found online here.

Mascarpone Tart with Honey, Oranges, and Pistachios

Prep time: 25 minutes; Total: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes baking and cooling time)

8 servings

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
2 large navel oranges
1 8 oz. container chilled mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 T. honey
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
2 T. chopped pistachios


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Press pie crust onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; fold sides in and press to extend sides 1/4 inch above rim of pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. (Note: I used aluminum foil and pie weights so it didn't puff up.) Bake until golden brown, about 24 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Meanwhile, grate enough orange peel to measure 1 1/4 tsp. Cut off remaining peel and pith from oranges. Slice oranges into thin rounds, then cut rounds crosswise in half. (Note: I left them as rounds b/c I liked the look better, but that made the tart more difficult to slice gracefully when serving.) Place orange slices on paper towels to drain slightly.

Combine mascarpone, cream, sugar, 1 T. honey, cardamom, and orange peel in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat just until blended and peaks form (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle). Spread filling evenly in cooled crust. Arrange orange slices atop tart in concentric circles; sprinkle with pistachios. Drizzle with remaining 1 T. honey and serve.

(Note: I made this the night before, and it worked quite well.)

Enjoy!!