Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Pâte Sablée (Crust)
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1 egg yolk, large
- 3 g vanilla bean paste
- 2 g salt
Lemon Mascarpone Cream
- 250 g mascarpone cheese, cold
- 150 ml heavy whipping cream, cold, 35% fat or higher
- 40 g powdered sugar
- 6 g lemon zest
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Fruit & Finish
- 300 g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
- 150 g blueberries, washed and thoroughly dried
- 45 ml apricot preserves
- 15 ml water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 481 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 51 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 121 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 20 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 76 mg
- Potassium
- 130 mg
- Calcium
- 99 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 14 mg
- Phosphorus
- 62 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 353 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 25 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 21 mcg
- Water
- 72 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly to mix.
Add cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, pulsing just until the dough clumps together. Do not overwork.
Turn dough out, shape into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to relax the gluten.
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness. Carefully lift and press into the tart pan. Trim edges, dock the bottom with a fork, and freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Line the frozen tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove weights and paper. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and dry. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
In a chilled bowl, whip the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until medium-stiff peaks form. Do not over-whip or mascarpone may curdle.
Spread the cream evenly into the cooled tart shell using an offset spatula.
Arrange blueberries in the top left quadrant and strawberries in rows across the remaining surface to evoke a flag motif, or arrange in concentric circles for a classic look.
Heat apricot preserves with water until liquid. Strain to remove chunks, then gently brush over the fruit for a glossy, protective finish.
Chef's Notes
- Pat dry the fruit thoroughly after washing. Any water left on the berries will bleed into the cream and create a messy slice.
- For the cleanest cuts, wipe your knife with a warm, damp cloth between every slice.
- If mascarpone is unavailable, an equal weight of full-fat cream cheese can be used, though the texture will be slightly denser and tangier.
- The glaze is not just for looks; it seals the fruit, keeping it fresh and preventing it from drying out in the fridge.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Best eaten within 24 hours as the crust will eventually soften.
Troubleshooting
Filling is runny and won't hold shape
Cause: The cream was under-whipped or the mixture got too warm
Fix: Refrigerate the filled tart for 2 hours before slicing to help it set
Prevention: Ensure both mascarpone and cream are fridge-cold; stop whipping immediately when peaks hold
Pastry shell shrank during baking
Cause: Dough was not rested enough or wasn't cold enough before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but fill carefully to the new rim height
Prevention: Freeze the lined tart pan for 15 minutes before putting it in the oven
Cultural Context
During the summer of 1986, America celebrated the Statue of Liberty's centennial with a massive resurgence of patriotic culinary themes. While sheet cakes were common, French-influenced fruit tarts gained popularity in fine dining as a way to elevate the red, white, and blue motif using premium seasonal produce.
