Plum and Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 225 g plain flour
• 30 g icing sugar
• 110 g butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tblsp water

For the filling:

• 400 g mascarpone
• 240 ml double cream
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tblsp marsala
• 450 g plums, quartered
• 1 tblsp brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to180ºC/Gas 4.
2. Cut the plums in quarters, remove the stones and sprinkle with brown sugar.
3. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes so that they are cooked but still hold their shape. Allow to cool but do not refrigerate.
4. Sieve the flour into a bowl. Add the diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sieve in the icing sugar and stir.
5. Beat the egg with the water and add to the bowl. Mix until it forms a firm dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the dough rest before rolling.
6. Preheat the oven to180°C/Gas 4.
7. Butter a 23cm x 2 ½ cm loose bottomed tart tin or 6 individual tartlet tins. Flour a work surface and roll out the pastry slightly wider than the tin.
8. Line the tin with the pastry and prick the base with a fork. Place in the fridge to rest for approximately 10 minutes.
9. Remove from the fridge and line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Place in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until fully baked.
10. Mix the mascarpone with the cream, sugar and Marsala, place in refrigerator until needed.
11. Just prior to serving, spoon the mascarpone into the cooked pastry shell and place the plums on top. Dust with a little icing sugar and garnish with a sprig of mint.