I’ll admit that some recipe ideas begin with a picture in my mind before the flavors are fully worked out. This plum tart started exactly that way. After seeing jewel-toned plums, plumcots, and pluots at the farmers’ market, I imagined a tart covered with neat rows of pink and red half-moon fruit slices. Once that image took hold, the rest of the dessert came together naturally: sweet honey, warm fresh ginger, creamy mascarpone, and a cool no-bake cheesecake-style filling.
I had also been seeing no-bake cheesecake recipes while searching for dessert ideas, and I wanted to try that soft, creamy texture in a tart rather than a traditional cheesecake. Around the same time, I had bought a square tart pan and was looking for the right recipe to use it. The result became this plum tart with honey ginger mascarpone filling, a dessert that is elegant enough for a special occasion but simple enough to make at home when stone fruit is in season.
The only challenge was the crust. My usual sweet tart dough was packed away with my cookbooks after a move, so I tried a quick substitute from an online recipe. It looked straightforward enough, but the finished crust was unevenly baked, too dark in places, and far too crumbly to hold the filling. It was a reminder that even simple tart crusts need the right balance of ingredients and method.
Fortunately, I came across an episode of America’s Test Kitchen featuring a fresh fruit tart, and the crust was exactly what this recipe needed. Instead of a standard pastry shell, it used a shortbread-style browned butter crust. The nutty flavor of browned butter works beautifully with juicy plums, floral honey, fresh ginger, and rich mascarpone. It also presses directly into the pan, which makes it less fussy than a rolled pastry dough.
This plum tart recipe is very flexible. You can use plums, plumcots, or pluots, as long as they are ripe but still firm enough to slice cleanly. Red- and pink-fleshed varieties make the prettiest presentation, especially if you want a jewel-like pattern on top. For a more decorative look, I used a cookie cutter to cut circles from 1/4-inch fruit slices, then halved the circles into half-moons. I arranged the darker and lighter pieces in alternating rows. If you prefer a simpler approach, skip the cookie cutter and layer thin slices of fruit directly over the chilled mascarpone filling.
The finished tart has a crisp browned butter crust, a lightly sweet honey ginger mascarpone filling, and a fresh fruit topping that keeps the dessert bright and balanced. It is best served the same day the fruit is added, when the crust is still crisp and the plums look their freshest.
Plum Tart with Honey Ginger Mascarpone Filling
This plum tart features ripe plums, plumcots, or pluots layered over a no-bake honey ginger mascarpone filling, all set in a crisp browned butter crust. The crust is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
browned butter crust, honey ginger mascarpone, plum tart
Ingredients
Browned Butter Crust
-
1 2/3
cup
all-purpose flour -
5
tbsp
sugar -
generous 1/8
tsp
salt -
12 1/2
tbsp (1/2 cup plus 4 1/2 tbsp)
unsalted butter -
2 1/2
tbsp
water
Filling
-
4
oz
neufchâtel or regular cream cheese
at room temperature -
1 1/2
inch piece
fresh ginger
peeled -
5
tbsp
honey -
5
oz
mascarpone -
1/2
cup
heavy whipping cream -
5-7
plums, pluots, or plumcots
ripe but firm
Instructions
Browned Butter Crust
-
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
-
Melt the butter in a small stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally. Continue cooking until the foam begins to subside, the milk solids turn golden, and the butter smells nutty and toasted. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the water; the mixture will bubble. Once the bubbling settles, pour the browned butter into the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
-
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch square tart pan or a 10-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes, until it is warm but comfortable to handle.
-
Press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Use about two-thirds of the dough for the base and the remaining one-third for the sides, taking care to create an even thickness.
-
Set the tart pan on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
-
Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool for at least 1 hour before adding the filling.
Filling
-
Using a microplane grater, grate the peeled ginger into a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Press the grated ginger firmly to extract the juice, then discard the solids. Set the ginger juice aside.
-
Using an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone and heavy whipping cream together until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Transfer it to a separate bowl and set aside.
-
In the same mixer bowl, combine the cream cheese, ginger juice, and honey until smooth. Fold in the whipped mascarpone mixture gently, keeping the filling light and creamy. Taste the filling and, if desired, fold in a little more honey or a few teaspoons of sugar for extra sweetness.
-
Spread the honey ginger mascarpone filling evenly into the cooled browned butter crust. Refrigerate the tart for at least 3 hours, or until the filling is well chilled and set.
-
Slice the plums, plumcots, or pluots as desired and arrange them over the chilled mascarpone filling. Keep the tart refrigerated until ready to serve. For the best texture and appearance, serve the tart the same day the fruit is added.