Lemon Berry Tartlets
Crisp pastry shells filled with lemon mascarpone cream and piled with fresh berries.
These look like patisserie and take twenty minutes because the shells are shop-bought. The filling is mascarpone loosened with cream and sharpened hard with lemon, which keeps it from tasting like sweetened dairy. Assemble them late.
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How to make Lemon Berry Tartlets
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
Shells
Lemon mascarpone cream
Topping
Equipment
- Electric whisk
- Piping bag, optional
- Fine grater
Method
-
1
Chill everything
Make sure the mascarpone and cream are properly cold, straight from the fridge. Warm mascarpone splits when whipped.
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2
Whip the base
Beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar, lemon zest and vanilla on medium for 30 seconds, just until smooth. Do not overwork it.
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3
Add the cream
Pour in the cold double cream and whip on medium until it holds firm peaks, about 60-90 seconds. Stop the moment it thickens; a few seconds more and it turns grainy.
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4
Sharpen with lemon
Fold in the lemon juice by hand with a spatula. Adding it during whipping can cause the mixture to seize.
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5
Fill the shells
Pipe or spoon the cream into the tartlet shells, mounding it slightly in the centre so the berries sit up.
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6
Top and glaze
Arrange the berries on top, brush lightly with the warmed apricot jam for shine, and finish with mint and extra lemon zest.
Cook’s tips
- Everything cold, and stop whipping early. Overwhipped mascarpone goes from silky to curdled in seconds and cannot be rescued.
- Fold the lemon juice in at the end by hand, never during the whipping.
- The apricot glaze is what makes them look professional and stops the berries drying out.
Variations
- Use a passionfruit or lime curd swirled through the cream for a sharper filling.
- Make one large 23 cm tart instead of six small ones; the filling quantity is the same.
- Swap mascarpone for thick Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier version.
Storage and make-ahead
Best assembled within 2 hours of serving. The cream keeps 2 days covered in the fridge, and unfilled shells keep a week in an airtight tin.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 392 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 34 g |
| Fat | 26 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Sodium | 180 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
