Brown Butter Plum Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Cheese

I absolutely adore the flavor of brown butter and have a couple recipes on my site featuring this delicious taste such as this Aged Balsamic Brown Butter Spaghetti with Chicken, Spinach, and Bell Pepper and this Brown Butter Roasted Banana Bread.  Well, here's one more.

This recipe came straight from Food Network and is one of Michael Chiarello's from his show "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello".  If you watch the video that is on the page with the recipe, Chef Chiarello uses mixed berries, but you can be creative here as noted by using stone fruit, bananas, or even figs.  I chose plums, my little one and I are big fans of this fruit and summer is the perfect time for consumption!

Creating this tart is relatively easy and is a delicious summer dessert.  My boys and I gave it the thumbs up!

Brown Butter Plum Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Cheese
Serves 10, makes 1 tart
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 package), thawed
1 pound dry beans, for baking the tart shell
1 lemon, zested
1 1/2 pints plums, chopped bite sized (or other fruit of choice)
1 pound Mascarpone cheese
Powdered sugar, for serving

To make the filling: In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and the sugar and beat on high speed until the mixture triples in volume.  Beat in the flour and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium-high heat until it browns.  Allow to cool slightly.  

With the stand mixer on, slowly drizzle the brown butter into the batter, being sure to scrape all of browned butter bits from the bottom of the pan.  Mix well.  Let the batter rest for about 20 minutes.

To assemble the tart: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry until it is large enough to fill a 10-inch removable bottom tart mold.  Line the tart pan with the dough then dock or poke the dough with a fork in several spots. Place parchment paper on top of the dough and fill with the beans. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Add the lemon zest to the brown butter batter. When the crust has cooled, place the tart pan into a foil lined larger pan and add the fruit.

Then pour the brown butter batter over the top.  Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Note: I baked for 30 minutes.  The top should be slightly souffled and the inside will be set but still moist. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Mix the mascarpone cheese with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.  Dollop a spoonful of vanilla mascarpone on each slice of tart then dust with powdered sugar before serving.