Strawberry (or Raspberry) MascarponeTart with Pecan Shortbread Crust

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Art of Gluten-Free Baking

Strawberry (or Raspberry) Mascarpone Tart with Pecan Shortbread Crust, Gluten-Free

Special Equipment Needed

-a food processor is very nice for mixing together the crust ingredients

-hand mixer is nice, but not necessary

-tart pan with a removable bottom (mine is 8" across, but you can use one up to about 10" across)

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 C (99 g) pecan halves

1/2 C (94 g) granulated sugar

1 C (145 g) Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C (1 stick; 113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1 large or extra large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Layer

1/2 C (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 TBL heavy whipping cream

For the Mascarpone Layer

1/2 C (118 ml) heavy whipping cream

8 oz (227 g) mascarpone cheese

3/4 C (85 g) powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Top

2 C (1 pint) fresh strawberries, sliced (or whole raspberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine pecans and granulated sugar. Pulse until the pecans are chopped and the pecans and sugar are mixed. Don't pulse so much that you turn the mixture into pecan butter! Add the flour and salt, pulse further to combine. Add butter pieces, pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the egg and the egg yolk and pulse until mixture comes together.

Pat dough into the bottom of a tart pan. Pat it in flat--don't make it slope up the sides.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, until shortbread crust is a light golden brown. Take out of oven and cool on wire rack. When it has cooled, remove the ring.

When crust is cooled completely, make your chocolate layer. In a small pan over very low heat, melt your chocolate--watch it very carefully so it doesn't burn! Once the chocolate is just melted, take off of heat and whisk in the 2 TBL of heavy cream. Whisk until smooth.

Spread the chocolate mixture on top of the shortbread crust.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature, make your mascarpone layer. With an electric hand mixer if you have one, beat together the mascarpone and sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Slowly add the 1/2 C heavy cream and then the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Spread this on top of the chocolate layer.

Place your sliced strawberries (or whole raspberries) on the top of the mascarpone in a decorative fashion.

Enjoy!