Lavender Pear Mascarpone Tart
A light pear cheesecake, adorned with a hint of lavender & resting on a shortbread crust, this Lavender Pear Mascarpone Tart is a perfect spring dessert.
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 4 ounces butter one stick at room temperature
Poached Pears
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 3 pears peeled, cored and quartered
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dried lavender see note
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- To make crust, mix ingredients together with fingers. Pat into 11 inch tart pan on the bottom only. Bake at 325F until just turning color on edges, about 10 minutes. Remove to cool.
- To poach pears, dissolve sugar in water in a small saucepan on medium heat. When mixture has come to a boil, add quartered cored pears and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Remove pears from liquid. Liquid may be reserved for other uses.
- In a medium bowl, mix filling ingredients using a handheld mixer. Spoon onto crust, then arrange poached pears in a circle on top of filling.
- Bake at 325F until fulling is set, about 55-60 minutes.
- Cool then serve.
Notes
(Optional) To best infuse the lavender flavor in the filling, mix the tablespoon of lavender with the 1/3 cup of sugar a few hours or a day ahead of time and store in an airtight container. The lavender will flavor the sugar and spread more evenly through the filling.
Calorie count is too high since most of the poaching sugar isn't absorbed. The poaching liquid absorbs pear flavor and is delicious mixed with fizzy water.
Nutrition
Calories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 139mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 785IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 0.4mg
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