Upside-Down Strawberry Tart

While I was driving home from work last Thursday, I was trying to figure out what to serve for dessert Friday night. Strawberries are the fruit I crave most during winter, and since Friday was the first day of spring, I knew my dessert had to feature strawberries. I also knew I wanted to use mascarpone cheese in some way. I wanted refreshing and light, but I didn’t have a vision. When I got home from work, I saw my new Gourmet (4/09) magazine on the table. And, do you know what was on the front? A strawberry tart with mascarpone cheese.

I knew I wasn’t going to have time to make the Gourmet dessert, but I did use the recipe as a jumping off point (I am definitely going to make this tart another time). I decided to use lime juice and zest in the cheese along with a small amount of vanilla. The vanilla in the mascarpone made the lime really stand out. Then, for the final touch, I crumbled ginger snaps on top for the “crust.” The lime and the ginger combination worked really well. The Upside-Down Strawberry Tart was the perfect ending to our meal.

Upside-Down Strawberry Tart
4 pints Strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 Tablespoon granulated suger
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 lime
¼ cup confectioners sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla
10 ginger snaps coarsely crushed

Place the strawberries in a bowl, and add the granulated sugar. Set aside. In another bowl, place the mascarpone cheese, and zest the lime, and add it to the cheese. Cut the lime in half, juice the lime and add it to the mascarpone. Add the vanilla to the mixture, and stir to combine all the ingredients. I added cream to the mixture to thin the cheese to the consistency of stiff whipped cream. Place the strawberries into individual serving dishes, and dollop with the cheese mixture. Top with the coarsely crushed, and serve. Serves 4-6.