One thing that you should probably know about me (if you haven't figured it our already) is that I'm over the top. For everything. Drama is my middle name, in fact my nickname as a child was 'Show Pony'. Thanks Nan... At least she was being honest!
So when I got invited to the local pool for an informal lunch with my host dad's Aqua Gym association (its all right I giggled too), and the condition was that I bring a dessert- I thought what better, what more suitable, what easier dessert than a Creme de Cassis Mascarpone Tart topped with Pistachios, Raspberries and Caramel?
I honestly can't help myself. I even made them mini so they would be cuter and pool portable.
Like usual, this recipe started out to be something quite different, which I found on the blog 'What's For Lunch Honey?' (link-http://www.whatsforlunchhoney.net/2009/08/strawberry-yogurt-mascarpone-tart.html), but to tell you the truth I was feeling disillusioned at the strawberries I had seen, and I am, by all accounts, a complete crack whore for raspberries. And caramel. And well... liquor. So off I popped into out garden with a little cane basket and large hoop skirt to pick the raspberries, raid the alcohol cabinet and rummage through my stash of caramel flavoured things. And here is the result-
Creme de Cassis Mascarpone Tart topped with Pistachios, Raspberries and Caramel
Ingredients-
Pastry-
150g of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
60g of castor sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
80g of butter, softened
30g of ground almonds
1 egg
1 tablespoon of cold water
Filling-
200g of Greek yogurt
250g of mascarpone
40g of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of Creme De Cassis
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 gelatin leaves
Topping-
750g of raspberries
3 tablespoons of raspberry jam
100g of pistachios, chopped
2/3 cup of caramels
20g of butter
Method-
Pastry-
In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and knead until it is smooth and holds together well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 26cm tart tin with baking paper.
Sprinkle some flour on a bench and roll out pastry, then press into the tin and cut small holes in the bottom of the pastry to let the air out when cooking.
If you can be bothered (I definitely waver with this step) place another sheet of baking paper over the pastry and fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake for ten minutes. Remove baking weights and bake for another 5 or so minutes until the pastry is a golden colour (this is the step I normally skip straight to).
Leave to cool.
Filling-
Fill a small bowl with cold water and add the 3 sheets of gelatin, then let soak of 5-10 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl, add the mascarpone, yoghurt, icing sugar, lemon juice and Creme De Cassis.
In a small saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of the mascarpone/yoghurt mix and then add the the soaked gelatin leaves. Stir gently until the leaves have dissolved. Add another 2 tablespoons of the mascarpone/yoghurt mix to the saucepan and stir. When the mixture is completely smooth (really doesn't take long), return the mixture from the saucepan into the bowl with the remaining and stir well to combine.
Pour the filling into the tart and put in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
Topping-
Roughly chop the pistachios, then place them well spread out on a tray and bake for 5-10 minutes at 180°C or until golden. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
Heat the raspberry jam over medium heat in a small saucepan, and then spoon over the top of the tart.
Sprinkle the fresh raspberries artistically (or haphazardly!) over the tart, and then do the same with the pistachios.
Melt together the caramels and the butter, either on the stove top, in a small bowl over boiling water (if you want to be traditional and ensure that they don't burn) or in the microwave (if your a risk taker... Check and stir often). When the mixture has reached a very runny consistency, dip a tablespoon in it, then move the tablespoon slowly across and around the tart, letting the caramel fall into cross-crossy lines.
AND VOILA! Refrigerate until ready to serve/shock people with your beautiful-tart making talent (the two really are interchangeable with this looker).
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