Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze

This is another recipe I found when we visited the McDougall's in North Carolina and it was such a good find. I know when you skim this you're going to think its a lot of work, but its really not that hard. It takes a little time but it is worth every second. This recipe is so good that Bree and I have already discussed seasonal variations so we don't have to wait for the berries to arrive to enjoy it. Trust me, try it out!

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze
For tart shell:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons cold water

For filling:
1 1/2 pounds strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts), trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup ruby Port
1 pound mascarpone (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment: a 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom; pie weights or dried beans

Make tart shell:
Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork, then drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together.

Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes.

Make filling while tart shell cools:
Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff.

Assemble tart:
Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.

Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.

Butterscotch Crescent Rolls

I would look forward to these sweet rolls every Christmas morning as a child. A family friend would deliver them warm to our house wrapped in foil! This year for Christmas that same family friend shared the recipe with me and I was able to 'deliver' them to my parents house, and a few other people who happened to be on our way. The sweet rolls got such rave reviews that I believe I'm expected to make them again next year and for many years to come. 

The rolls may seem like a lot of work (and they are) but they are worth every second of your time. Once you have completed baking and frosting the rolls you can wrapped them in foil and freeze them. Wrapping them in foil will allow for convenient thawing and warming of the rolls in the oven on a future date. 

The following ingredients and directions will make 36 crescent rolls.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 – 3 oz pkg. butterscotch pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
• 1 – 12 oz. can evaporate milk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs unbeaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 cups flour

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.
2. Prepare pudding mix with the evaporated milk. Stir often. When cooked, stir in butter and cool to lukewarm, about 20-30 minutes. 
3. Blend eggs and salt into pudding mixture, then add yeast and mix well. 
4. Stir in flour gradually to form a stiff dough. Knead on board until smooth and no longer sticky. This may take up to 20 minutes. (I use a Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook for this making it less laborious). Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1-1/3 cup flaked coconut
• 1-1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 to 1 cup chopped pecans
• 4 Tbsp. flour

Directions:

1. Combine filling ingredients in small bowl and mix well until blended.
2. Punch down dough and divide into thirds. Roll out each part to a 15" circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges and place a rounded teaspoonful of brown sugar mixture on each wedge. 
3. Roll up, starting with wide end and rolling to a point. Moisten fingers and seal the point to the main part of the roll. Curve ends to form crescent. Place point side down on greased baking sheets. 
4. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes until light brown. Remove rolls to a wire rack to cool. Frost while warm.

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp. evaporated milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar - sifted

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, water and butter the top of a double boiler and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
2. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar with wire whisk. Set the pan over the bottom of the double boiler with simmering water. 
3. Don’t let the glaze get too thick. Add more evaporated milk if necessary to reach desired spreading consistency. 
4. Frost rolls. Note: the frosting is very hot and can burn your fingers. Use great caution! Place frosted rolls on wire racks to cool and dry.
5. When you serve the rolls they should be served warm... they taste best that way! :-)