Easy Italian Lemon Mascarpone Tart - Recipe Winners (2024)

FAQs

Why does lemon tart crack? ›

I was once told that the tarts crack because they lose moisture. They then sink and crack. Check that you have blind baked your pastry enough - this helps stop it absorbing moisture from the filling. Also, try brushing the pastry with butter before you put the filling in.

It is a fresh cheese that is most commonly made with pasteurized cow's milk. Unlike some cheeses, which have animal-derived rennet added, mascarpone is vegetarian. It's made by heating heavy cream and adding an acid like tartaric acid (aka cream of tartar), citric acid, or lemon juice to solidify and thicken the cream.

While not overly sweet, mascarpone is clearly on the sweeter end of the cheese spectrum. It is often found in desserts such as cheesecake, blintzes, and even sorbet, to give them a creamy texture and rich flavor. It is also the primary ingredient in such Italian favorites as tiramisu and cannoli.

She starts by mixing some flour and water in a bowl—just enough to make a small amount of paste, the consistency of spackle. She then uses a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the paste across the line of damage in the crust. Next, she places the crust in the oven and bakes it just until the paste has dried.

A custard with both eggs and starch needs to be thoroughly cooked. The reason is that yolks contain an enzyme which liquidifies starch. It doesn't happen outright, but will happen while your tart is cooling. The only way to prevent it is to heat the mix high enough so the enzyme is deactivated.

No, mascarpone cheese is not healthier than cream cheese as it contains 25% more fat than cream cheese. Yet mascarpone cheese is only preferred for its extra smooth texture. You can use cream cheese and mascarpone cheese for salty and sweet dishes.

Check the "use by" date on the package for storage time, but it's generally a week. Mascarpone tends to go bad quickly, so use an open container within a few days; return any unused portion to the fridge with the lid tightly sealed. If it develops mold or if its aroma or color is off, discard the entire package.

Here, centuries of artisan cheesemakers have created their recipes for some of Italy's best-known cheeses, like Mascarpone. The process for making this cheese usually involves heating heavy cream and adding citric acid to the mixture, which combines to create that signature texture and taste.

Mascarpone isn't just for panettone or tiramisù. Slathered on crostini or whipped into spaghetti, it's more sumptuous than butter — add a little sugar, and it's even more enticing than cream.

Mascarpone cheese isn't very good to eat by itself (imagine eating a spoonful of butter), but it is perfect to use as an ingredient for savory and dessert recipes alike.

What happens when you over mix mascarpone? ›

If you accidentally over-whip the mascarpone and it turns grainy, you can rescue it by folding in a splash of cream until it smooths out again. You can use it right away or cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days or so.

A closed package of mascarpone will last in the fridge until its best-by date. If you've already opened it, the clock starts ticking, and you have around 1 week to use it all up.

Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese made from fresh cream. Traditionally, this was made from the fresh milk of cows that have grazing pastures filled with fresh herbs and flowers.

Once the tart is out of the oven, it is imperative that you allow it to cool completely in its pan before removing it. Neglecting to do so, as Zestful Kitchen explains, will result in cracking as the tart is still too warm at this stage to have set completely.

When dough doesn't have enough water, or if it's not properly hydrated (more on that below), it will feel and look dry and be prone to cracking.

Allow the milk tart to cool at room temperature. If you put it in the fridge straight away, you will probably end up with a huge crack down the centre as a result of cooling too quickly. Be sure to use the best quality ingredients.

Shrinking and cracking: Overbaking will cause the egg proteins in the recipe to overcoagulate from too much heat which eventually shrink (and crack) when cooled. Thin crust forms: If refrigerating just cooked or baked custard, let it cool about 5 - 10 minutes and then cover it with plastic wrap.