Bring a wow factor to your dessert table by serving this Mascarpone-Mousse Tart, made with cranberry-orange chutney and a chocolate-hazelnut crust topped with fresh mint and plump cranberries.
Mascarpone-Mousse Tart with Cranberry-Orange Chutney
Makes 2 (14x4½x1-inch) tarts
Ingredients
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- ½ (8-ounce) package mascarpone
- 3 (4-ounce) white-chocolate bars, chopped
- Chocolate-Hazelnut Crust (recipe follows)
- Cranberry-Orange Chutney (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh mint and fresh cranberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and reserved vanilla-bean seeds with a mixer at medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form; refrigerate.
- In a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt cheese and white chocolate, stirring to combine. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.
- Fold white-chocolate mixture into whipped-cream mixture. Pour half of mixture into each Chocolate-Hazelnut Crust, smoothing tops. Layer Cranberry-Orange Chutney on top. Garnish with mint and cranberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Crust
Makes 2 (14x4½x1-inch) crusts
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup chopped hazelnuts
- ¼ cup cocoa nibs
- ½ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together graham cracker crumbs, hazelnuts, and cocoa nibs until finely ground. Add butter, and pulse until mixture comes together.
- Press mixture into bottom and up sides of 2 (14x41/2x1-inch) tart pans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack.
Cranberry-Orange Chutney
Makes 1¾ cups
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice, divided
- 2 cardamom pods
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise scraped, seeds and bean reserved
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, ½ cup orange juice, cardamom pods, vanilla bean, and reserved vanilla-bean seeds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in remaining
- up orange juice. Let cool to room temperature. Remove vanilla bean and cardamom pods. Store chutney, covered, in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
