Lemon Berry Mascarpone Tart

A Lemon Berry Mascarpone Tart is a simple, delicious way to show off all the season’s best berries. A creamy mascarpone filling, a hint of fresh lemon, and four kinds of berries, all on top of a sweet shortbread crust!

It’s officially summer break here! On the last day of school I picked up the kids with our summer theme song blaring in the car, their scooters in the trunk, and a plan to take them and a pizza to the park. I thought we’d celebrate. It didn’t quite go like that though.

Instead of running out the school doors looking for freedom after that last bell rang, they came trudging out with tears in their eyes. They cried the whole way to the park. Then, they cried while they rode their scooters around their favorite paths at the park until I finally gave up. I thought it would be super fun, but it was a super bust.

I guess my kids just really love school.

It took a few days after their tragic last day of school, but they are finally excited about summer. Taking them to the farmer’s market’s grand opening for the season helped too. We left with a basket full of berries and big summer plans. A Fresh Berry Mascarpone Tart could surely make anyone feel excited for the season ahead.

The fresh berries tasted amazing all by themselves and I knew it wouldn’t take much to make a great dessert. I started with a simple, short bread crust. I didn’t want a fussy crust, just something easy that I could press into the pan. Plus, I’m a sucker for a delicious cookie crust.

The mascarpone filling is creamy, lightly sweet, and has just a hint of lemon to accent the berries. As you’re eating it, you’ll notice it actually melts in your mouth. It’s perfection, really.

The berries are the real star of the show though. We used fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Their bright colors make them a feast for the eyes. Their juicy sweet berry flavors make them the quintessential summer dessert.

The nice thing about this Fresh Berry Mascarpone Tart is that it looks like a real showstopper, but it’s actually quite easy to make. The press-in crust is quick and easy, just a few minutes in the oven. The filling is no-bake and so easy to mix up that I put the kids in charge of that part.

It’s the perfect dessert to take to all your summer gatherings and potlucks this year. We’ve already found three occasions to whip up this Fresh Berry Mascarpone Tart and the summer is just getting started here

Yield: 1 (9 inch) tart

Lemon Berry Mascarpone Tart

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Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

• 1 pound mascarpone cheese (about 2 cups)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (plus more for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound fresh berries, washed, hulled, and sliced as desired

Instructions

1. To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, using a standing mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until just incorporated, being careful to not over mix. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
3. Once the dough has chilled, press the dough into the tart pan and up the sides. Use a knife to score the edges and make them even at the top. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to lightly brown. If it has puffed up a little during baking, just gently press it down when you remove from oven. Cool completely in pan.
4. To prepare the filling, combine the mascarpone, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spread mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with berries. Garnish with lemon zest.

Notes

In the photos, I arranged the berries in a pretty design on top of the tart. But when I serve this tart, I top the whole tart with fresh berries so every slice gets a good mix of berries