citrus mascarpone crostata

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Crostata is an Italian tart made with a sweet short crust pasty and it can be filled with pastry cream or fruit. It's as easy to make as pie, and the pastry is delicious. (If I had any leftover pastry I would have made it into cookies.) I made my version with a mascarpone filling.

Citrus Mascarpone Crostata
makes one 24 cm (10") tart

for the pastry:
1/2 c minus 1 T (100 g) caster sugar
1 3/4 c (220 g) plain flour
a pinch of salt
1/2 c (115 g) cold butter, cut into cubes
zest of half a lemon
1 egg
1 egg yolk (use the egg white in the filling)

for the filling:
2 c (500 ml, 500 g) mascarpone cheese
1/3 c (60 ml) caster sugar
2 t lemon zest
2 t grapefruit (or orange) zest
2T lemon (or grapefruit or orange) juice
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 t cinnamon

First make the pastry. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter, first with knives and then using your fingers to rub the butter to make a coarse texture.
Add the lemon zest, egg, and egg yolk and use a wooden spoon to combine into a dough. When the dough comes together knead it gently to make a firm dough. Shape into a ball, cover, and chill for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Roll the dough out on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper into a circle with diameter of about 30 cm (12"). Invert the dough into a 24 cm (10") tart pan, pressing the dough into the bottom and up the sides.
Pour the filling in.
Bake at 180 C (350 F) for 1 hour, or until the centre is just set.
Serve with fresh fruit and mint leaves.

I really enjoyed this Daring Bakers challenge. Have a look around other food bloggers and see what other inventive crostata have been made.