Cherry & Thyme Jam Tart With Mascarpone. A mouthwatering dessert perfect for entertaining!
Serves 8
500g fresh cherries, pitted and halved
¼ cup lemon juice
8 sprigs lemon thyme
500g jam sugar
200g mascarpone
¼ cup icing sugar, sifted, extra for dusting
1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
200g fresh cherries, to garnish
Almond Pastry
160g plain flour
30g almond meal
120g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
50g caster sugar
1 egg
To make jam, place cherries and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Lightly crush cherries. Add thyme. Place pan over low heat; cook for 5 minutes. Add sugar and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Bring to the boil. Cook for 6 minutes or until mixture is at setting point. Remove thyme sprigs; allow to cool.
To make pastry, process flour, almond meal, sugar and butter until fine breadcrumbs form. Add egg; pulse until a dough comes together. Press dough into a greased 11.5cm x 34.5cm rectangular tart tin, with 1cm pastry over the edge.
Refrigerate for 1 hour. Trim edges. Bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove paper and beads, return to oven and cook for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is golden. Set aside to cool.
Spoon 1 cup jam into tart base. Combine mascarpone, icing sugar, lemon juice and zest. Spoon into pastry case; smooth. Top with cherries and dust with icing sugar.
