Strawberry and Dark Chocolate Tart with Mascarpone Cream

Photo and Styling by Béatrice Peltre

Combine three simple yet exquisite ingredients—juicy young strawberries, velvety mascarpone and premium bittersweet chocolate—within a tart, and the outcome is a dessert of unparalleled charm. A light almond-based sweet crust complements these ingredients beautifully.

Makes a 10-inch tart

FOR THE SWEET ALMOND CRUST (GLUTEN FREE):
½ cup (75 g) sorghum flour
½ cup (60 g) almond meal
½ cup (80 g) sweet rice flour
pinch of sea salt
¼ cup (40 g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and diced, plus more for the tart mold
1 large egg, beaten

FOR THE TART GARNISH:
3½ ounces (100 g) bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), or milk chocolate if you prefer
8 ounces (226 g) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
⅓ cup (40 g) confectioner’s sugar
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, cold
12 ounces (340 g) young strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size unsweetened cocoa powder, to dust
fresh mint leaves, for serving

TO MAKE THE SWEET ALMOND CRUST: In a large bowl, combine the sorghum flour, almond meal, sweet rice flour, sea salt, confectioner’s sugar and xanthan gum. Using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter in the flour mixture. Add the egg and gather the dough together. Butter a 10-inch tart mold and, using your fingers, press the dough inside the mold. Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes minimum.

TO MAKE THE TART GARNISH: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take the tart mold out of the Preheat oven to 350°F. Take the unbaked prepared tart dish out of the fridge and dock the pastry with a fork. Line with parchment paper and add pie crust weights. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes with the weights. Remove the weights and parchment paper, return to the oven and cook for 5–8 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or a bowl set over a pot of simmering water) and spread it on top of the crust. Let the chocolate set and cool completely before moving to the next step.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, combine the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla. Add the cream and whisk until soft peaks form but the cream holds. Pay attention to the texture of the cream; it could turn into butter if you whisk it too much. Using the decoration tip of your choice, pipe the mascarpone cream mixture on top of the layer of chocolate. Arrange the strawberries evenly on top, pointy sides up. Dust with cocoa powder and add fresh mint before serving.

Editor’s Note: In New England, strawberry season doesn’t start in earnest until the very first days of June, and only lasts about five or six weeks. Until recently, our best option during the rest of the year has been to buy berries hauled in from California or Florida—not a very sustainable choice. But now, with the distribution of Oishii Berries in regional Whole Foods Markets and Eataly, there’s an alternative! Grown in the world’s largest indoor vertical strawberry farm in New Jersey, their Koyo and Omakase Berries are perfectly ripe and absolutely delicious all year round. These Japanese varietals are fresh, juicy, sweet, and some of the best strawberries I’ve ever tasted. Try using Oishii Berries in Beatrice’s French strawberry-chocolate tart for an always-in-season treat this spring. -SB

This recipe appeared in the Spring 2024 issue as part of a larger story on French Spring Tarts.