Tart cherry mascarpone custard torta (and one more)

Mascarpone here we come! I don’t typically keep this Italian style cream cheese on hand as a staple ingredient but, when I’ve used it for a specific project, there are usually leftovers that are begging to go into something delicious.

I’ve had mascarpone on the brain for a while now. It all started with a full day of three demo sessions for a local seniors group back in April. In addition to a couple of savory offerings, I prepared and served whipped lime mascarpone cream vol-au-vents topped with fresh strawberries. During the ensuing days I used the leftover mascarpone for a home freezer stash of strawberry lime mascarpone ice cream and some delightful raspberry teacakes (more on that later).

As it turns out, I still had one unopened tub in the fridge and - wouldn’t you know it (I believe it was kismet!) - a request came in to create something delicious for my cousin Mary’s afternoon book club group. You can guess where this is going.

*Just a quick note about mascarpone’s shelf life - if it remains unopened, it’s fine in your fridge for awhile - the use by dates are typically some months out. BUT . . . . once opened and the plastic sealer is removed it’s best to use it within 5-7 days. If I’ve used only a portion of the tub, I press plastic wrap directly on the surface to exclude air which helps keep it’s texture until I’ve finished it off.

Most commonly found brand on grocery store shelves

Purchased mid may - use by date 9/14/26 - if unopened!

Let’s get on with it! I had pasta frolla, Michigan tart cherries (the end of last year’s crop) and oat crumble in my freezer so, along with the unopened tub of mascarpone, I had a clear vision for the book club dessert. With a few additional ingredients always at the ready (cream, sugar, cornstarch, egg, lemon zest and vanilla) I was set.

Here’s the recipe PDF which includes all the components - if you prefer not to read through the entire post, you can go right to it and get to work on your own torta!

The book group torta

Cousin Mary’s book group gave the torta a thumbs up so, as Memorial Day approached, I thought it fitting to make another one for a family gathering at cousin Jen’s cottage! Yippee!

Let’s walk through the steps - or you can go to the full recipe here.

I decided to use an 8” springform pan so I could build up the sides a bit deeper than I might with a standard tart ring. I ended up using about 280-300 g of pasta frolla (the same dough I used for the crostata della Nonna last October). I lightly buttered the bottom of the pan and lined it with a parchment round.

Roll the dough to about a 10” circle 4-5 mm thick and ease it into the form. I wanted a height of about 1.25” so gave myself plenty of dough to work with. Score the dough at your desired height then remove the excess. Save scraps to re-roll for cookies or petite tarts.

Starting the lining

Here it is all neatened up with a distinct edge. Prick all over with a fork. I always place my lined form in the freezer while my oven is heating to 350ºF (325º convection) - it helps the dough keep its form during baking.

Ready for blind baking

Ease your parchment round into the pan, snugging it up against the dough. Fill with weights.

Bake 20 minutes, remove from the oven and gently lift out the parchment/weights. You want the edges of the dough starting to set. The bottom will still look wet but continue to bake without weights another 10-15 minutes until it looks dry.

Egdes set, bottom needs more time

OK now we’re on a roll

At this point you have the option to let it cool and refrigerate it overnight (or freeze for up to a couple of weeks) if you wish to complete the project later.

If proceeding with filling and baking, make the mascarpone filling. The shell does NOT have to cool completely before filling with the custard and baking.

Here’s the mise for the filling . . . . I didn’t use lemon zest in this one.

In a medium bowl blend 75 g / 1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar with 3 tablespoons cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Whisk in 2 large eggs and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. Lemon zest is an option and would be added here as well.

Blend in 170 g /3/4 cup mascarpone and 170 g /3/4 cup heavy cream

You can make the filling a day or several hours ahead and hold it in the fridge. Simply stir it back up to re-blend before pouring into the blind baked shell.

Ready for the oven

Bake at 350ºF (325º convection) about one hour - start with 25 minutes (it will still be quite jiggly), rotate the tray, allow another 25 minutes (should be setting around the edges and browning), rotate again then finish with another 10 minutes or so. Look for a nice golden brown surface and only a hint of jiggle in the center.

Now we’re talking!

I loosen the outer ring of the springform and let the torta cool to room temperature. Remove the ring. You can hold the torta in the fridge until the next day if you’re not ready for garnishing.

I make my cherry filling earlier in the day or the day before and keep it refrigerated. Spoon a layer of cherries over the center of the torta, leaving an inch or so clear around the edges. Sprinkle oat crumble around the edges then dust that with powdered sugar. TIP: hold a small bowl over the cherries while you dust - keeps them nice and cherry-y.

Slice and serve . . . . . the marriage of tart cherries, crunchy crumble, creamy filling and buttery crust can’t be beat.

Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge although the cherry topping/sauce may get a tad more runny.

Yum!

Whoa! That one went on didn’t it! But there’s one more thing.

To help you use up any of your own mascarpone here’s a straight forward mascarpone cake that serves as a great blank canvas for adding fruit, nuts, and/or topping with various swirls of delight. The recipe makes one 8” or 9” cake or about 30 small teacakes.

As many of you know, I prefer baking petite teacakes versus a large sliceable cake. These do not disappoint.

For these babies I turned back to an oil based mascarpone recipe I originally found at “An Italian in My Kitchen” about seven years ago. The site is chock full - the section on cakes alone will knock your socks off.

I’ve made it a number of times over the years, tweaking ingredients here and there (e.g. melted butter for the oil; different combos of mascarpone/yogurt/heavy cream; adding chopped nuts and/or fruit). It’s quite adaptable.

Below is the mise for my current iteration of the recipe. Don’t let the 8” springform distract you - I ultimately topped that one with a lovely thin-ish layer of lemon Swiss meringue buttercream and a few chopped candied pistachios. Darn - I didn’t take photos. Sometimes I simply get lost in the moment.

No worries. The mise remains the same for the teacakes - recipe makes about 30.

I’ve thrown enough at you so I won’t take you through the steps - just follow the recipe and create your own version. For these I piped the batter into flexi mini muffin molds, pressed some frozen raspberry pieces in and baked ‘em. If you’re not ready to garnish and serve them, they keep very well in the freezer for a couple of weeks.

When you’re ready, thaw and garnish as you wish. Here I drizzled them with caramel then gave them a nice cap of raspberry/tart cherry Swiss meringue buttercream. You could even sprinkle on some chopped pistachios.

I served these at our exercise facility as a treat for friend Kim’s last day working there. We miss her!

Until next time! Ciao.

Caramelized peach semifreddo

Hello from autumnal west Michigan! It feels so good to be away from the seemingly weeks and weeks of heat and humidity. My baking juices have been flowing - yippie!

Peaches have been around for a few weeks now and are ever so delicious. In addition to the mixed fruit galette I shared with you recently, I’ve made a peach cake for a cousin’s gathering a couple of weeks ago, I have peach ice cream in the freezer and just baked a peach/blueberry custard tart to share with neighbors.

My favorite stone fruit vendor

This post has been underway for awhile after my discovery of the book “Dolci!” by Renato Poliafito at our local library. Hence I’ve been off on an Italian tangent with this delicious semifreddo (I’ll have a few other Italian bakes to share with you in the coming weeks.)

As a bit of back story, let’s not forget that my first foray into professional pastry school was at Apicius in Florence, Italy back in early 2006. By the way, at the end of this month it’ll be TWENTY years since I left my medical career - wow!

At Apicius I enjoyed the basic pastry program and had hoped to continue with a second semester, but, alas, the proposed summer session wasn’t going to happen. As Steve and I contemplated our next move, he so wisely said “If you want to learn pastry, why not go to Paris?” And the rest is history as they say.

Like a big sparkler

Let’s get back to the task at hand. I recently taught a French macaron class to a couple of teenagers (good fun!) which meant I had to have egg whites on hand a few days ahead so they could age in the fridge. When I need egg whites, I look for something tasty to make using the yolks. Semifreddo (Italian word meaning half-cold) is just one of those. Basically a still-frozen (not churned) egg/sugar or Swiss meringue base to which whipped cream is added, it can take on many flavor profiles.

For the base mixture: option one is a sabayon/zabaglione made with eggs + yolks (or all yolks) + sugar + a flavoring liquid such as a nut liqueur/fruit juice/Marsala/Champagne or a fruity white wine; option two is a Swiss meringue base to which one can add fruit purees, melted chocolate and/or ground nuts to name just a few.

Both options end with folding in whipped cream and the whole shebang is frozen in a plastic-wrap-lined loaf pan.

Cover with the plastic and into the freezer

An alternative is to spread the mix into shaped flexi-molds of choice for an interesting single serving approach. The below image gives you the general idea. Top with fresh fruit or coulis plus a crunchy crumble and you’re good to go.

Waiting for garnish

Let’s go over the process. This is a plan ahead-er for sure. Just be organized and you’ll find it’s pretty straight forward. Peaches diced, sautéed and cooled; base mixture whisked/heated over bain marie and fully cooled; cream whipped; then it all gets combined, spread into a pan and into the freezer. Here’s the full recipe PDF.

Lightly oil a 9”x5” loaf pan and line with plastic (the oil keeps the plastic in place) so that it overhangs the edges by 2-3 inches.

For the peaches I peeled/large diced 4 ripe peaches. Sautéed in a bit of sugar, butter and a splash of lemon juice to cook off the liquid, then stir in a couple of drizzles of my homemade caramel at the end makes for a tasty addition to the base.

Bubble . . . bubble

Transfer the peaches to a 1/4 sheet pan in a single layer and let cool fully. If not using soon, cover and refrigerate.

Make the sabayon by whisking 2 large eggs, 3 yolks and 100 g / 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a medium heat proof bowl over a bain marie. Whisk with vigor until the mixture pales, thickens and ribbons off a spatula or bowl scraper, about 5-8 minutes. It should reach 170ºF. Place directly into an ice bath and let cool completely, whisking occasionally.

Whip 360 ml / 1.5 cups heavy cream to medium soft peaks.

Components ready

Blend the whipped cream into the cooled base then fold in the peaches.

Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Fold the plastic wrap over the surface, smooth down to eliminate air bubbles then place into the freezer for at least 4 hours. I made mine a couple of weeks before actually serving and enjoying it. Make ahead - gotta love it!!

When it came time for the first taste, I opted for an ice cream scoop approach. I admit I might have been in a teensy bit of a hurry and this is an easy way to enjoy - a scoop into a bowl, topped with toasted sliced almonds and/or oat crumble, a few blueberries and a drizzle of caramel - YES!

The remainder went back into the freezer until I got my wits about me.

The next time I was feeling a bit more relaxed so took time to lift the semifreddo out of the pan, slice it and top with the same garnish of crumble, blueberries and caramel - never gets old.

I was left with enough to empty the loaf pan and press the remaining mixture into one of my decorative silicone molds (photo earlier above). Covered with plastic wrap and back into the freezer (again!) where it’s at the ready for another round of goodness.

A quick note - I would typically decide ahead of time whether I want to make a full loaf (e.g. sliced and garnished for a dinner party) or opt for the silicone individual portions that can be popped out and served singly or with just a handful of folks. It’s all in the planning.

OK - enough of the semifreddo. Here’s the peach cake I mentioned earlier. The recipe is the same as one I posted back in late August of 2023 as mini cakes - this time I went with a 9” springform.

Hmmmmm . . . . what should go on top??

I topped it with my favorite caramel mascarpone cream plus a drizzle of caramel over all. I don’t have a photo of an individual portion (we were at my cousin’s cottage and it just didn’t happen), but I also made a blueberry sauce to top it. Boy oh boy was it good!

Happy baking and enjoy autumn!

Along my walking route

French apple cake

I mentioned this cake in passing ONE YEAR ago (!) in one of my update posts. I had baked the first test batch back in autumn of 2023 in preparation for a demo session I did at an assisted living facility - it was a big hit. I’ve made it several times since and added it to my to-do list for the blog. Well here goes! Plus, you’ll have time to make it for your own New Year’s celebration!

Inspired by a recipe in Aleksandra Crapanzano’s book “Gateau”, I did some quick research and found a number of recipes for this rum scented classic French cake. While AC’s ups the ante a bit with adding rum soaked raisins to the batter along with the apples, the bulk of recipes on line follow a simpler approach.

When I did my stages in 2007 at Pâtisserie Pascal Pinaud in Paris’s 5th arr., Golden Delicious apples were the go to for apple tartelettes and apple cakes. They have a lovely flavor and hold up well when baked without getting all mushy. I still like using them but also find Fuji, Granny Smith and Jonagolds great for baking. Of course, one can play around with a mixture of favorites too!

I’ve made the base recipe in a 9” cake pan, two 6” cake pans and silicone muffin type molds (using molds with 3 ounce/85 g wells yields about 14 cakes). Silicone molds don’t require buttering but the pans should be buttered and lined with parchment - I like to butter the parchment and inner sides of the pan and dust with raw sugar. It gives the outer edges a nice hint of crunch. Below is a nine inch pan ready to go.

I add a couple of my favorite spices (coriander and nutmeg) to the batter and dot the top with diced butter and raw sugar sprinkle early in the bake.

Here’s my recipe. Eggs and butter should be at room temperature. In the foreground of the photo below is organic golden cane sugar, a Costco find that I’ve been using as my “house” sugar for awhile now. On the right are my diced butter and raw sugar for the top.

mise en place

I probably sound like a broken record, but the process here is very much like many cake recipes out there. Here’s the recipe again.

Prep your pan. Heat the oven to 350ºF.

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2” cubes.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 130 g / 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, a few grates of fresh nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream 113 g / 4 ounces unsalted butter and 130 g / 2/3 cup cane sugar on medium high about three minutes until light and fluffy.

Blend in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl down after each addition. Blend in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 45 ml / 3 tablespoons dark rum.

Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in apples.

Ready to pan up!

Transfer batter into your prepared pan and level the top. Lots of apple chunks goin’ on!

Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and top with diced butter and raw sugar.

Place back into the oven and bake another 30 minutes, checking half way through and rotating the pan 180º. Look for a golden top and a tester coming out clean.

Looks good (and smells good too!)

Let the cake cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before gently turning out onto a cooling grid. If you’re using a springform pan or a removable bottom cake pan like the one above, it’s very easy to release the cake. You can then let it fully cool resting on the pan bottom. Then, once cooled, carefully slide an offset spatula under the cake to separate it from the parchment and place on your desired platter for serving.

I made this for a Thanksgiving family gathering so for transport (and to give it a hint of decor) I set it on a doily topped cardboard cake round and stashed it in a covered cake carrier for the road trip. Simple.

To snazz it up a bit I went with my favorite whipped mascarpone topping, dolloped on and spread into swirls. Whip 56 g / 2 ounces mascarpone with 4 ounces / 1/2 cup heavy cream, a teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoons (or to taste) of either confectioners sugar or caramel (my preference here - so good with apple desserts).

A sprinkle of oat crumble sets it off.

Hmmmm . . . good!

As mentioned earlier, I’ve also made these in silicone muffin style molds. I’m a big fan of the mascarpone/oat crumble garnish!

The recipe also works well in two 6” cake pans. If you’re serving just a few people, you can freeze one of them for later. Not a bad deal.

You still have time to make this for your New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day gathering so get into that kitchen of yours and go for it!

Here’s to new adventures in baking and in life for 2025!