This recipe immediately caught my eye when I saw it in my Google Reader. I love it because it is a creative spin on the traditional fruit tart with a slightly different filling and crust. And this was the perfect time to make it, as nectarines were $0.88/lb at the grocery store! We had Ben’s family over for dinner last weekend. After a delicious summery meal of chicken and veggie subs on the grill, grilled corn on the cob and fresh watermelon, this was the perfect dessert. Everyone really enjoyed it (and Ben and I really enjoyed the leftovers!) I thought all the flavors really complemented each other well, and I especially liked the hint of lemon in the filling. Delicious!
Nectarine, Mascarpone and Gingersnap Tart
Ingredients:
For the crust:
37 gingersnap cookies, coarsely broken (about 9 oz. or 3 ¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. pieces)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1 8-oz. container mascarpone cheese
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
For the topping:
4 to 5 small nectarines, halved, pitted, and cut into thin slices
¼ cup peach jam, warmed
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Finely grind gingersnaps in the food processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of a spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Spread filling in the prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Overlap nectarine slices on top of the filling in concentric circles. Brush with jam. Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.
Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen
