Super Simple Strawberry Tart

Of all the spring and summer fruit, I find that strawberries need the least amount of adornment; especially this time of year, when the berries at the farmer's market are juicy, ripe, and red all of the way through. I prefer to eat them fresh or sliced up and tossed with just a sprinkle sugar. I think strawberries lose something when cooked so when I want to have them for dessert, I don't bake them into pie or cake, but I love to use them fresh. This tart is a perfect example of a super fresh and super easy strawberry dessert.

This is maybe the easiest tart I've ever made, the only thing that requires effort is making a batch of pie dough and I'm guessing most of you guys have done that before. Heck, you might even have a batch in your freezer, just waiting to be thawed and rolled out. If that's the case, you can make this impressive treat in about 45 minutes. Make sure you assemble the tart right before you want to eat it. No one likes a soggy tart.

Happy Solstice, all!

Super Simple Strawberry Tart

serves 8-10

The combination of crust and sweetened mascarpone would be delicious with just about any fruit you can imagine: blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines or plums would all be totally delicious. I would caution against blueberries, only because they might roll right off of the crust. Assemble the tart right before you serve it, to prevent sogginess.

one recipe of your favorite single crust pie dough (all purpose version, rye version)

1 egg for egg wash

1 pound strawberries

8 ounces mascarpone

5 tablespoons sugar

small handful organic rose petals 

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Roll out the pie crust to an oval, 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Trim any rough edges and move the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Dock the crust with a fork to prevent the dough from puffing up too much and brush the dough with a beaten egg. Bake the dough until it is deep, deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool the pastry completely.

While the pastry is cooling, combine the mascarpone and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Spread the mascarpone over the cooled pastry, top with sliced strawberries arranged in a decorative pattern. If you are using the rose petals, gently tuck them between the strawberries. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining sugar, slice and serve immediately.

Caramelized Rhubarb and Yogurt Ice Pops

This time of year I love making rhubarb compote or jam to eat with my morning yogurt. For these treats, I took my favorite breakfast and turned up the flavors to turn it into a tart and tangy dessert. First, I caramelized the rhubarb with a bit of honey to add some depth of flavor. By the way, have you ever tried making fruit caramel sauce? It's so, so good! This strawberry caramel sauce is a perfect ice cream topping. But, let's get back to the pops at hand because then, I swirled honey and vanilla bean seeds into the yogurt which tastes delicious and has the extra bonus of looking totally beautiful and fancy.

I first imagined this recipe as cool and creamy frozen yogurt, but forgot to put my ice cream canister in the freezer, doh! So, I went with the next best option, dusted off my popsicle molds and layered the rhubarb and yogurt in those instead. They are the perfect, late spring treat: creamy, sweet, tart and cooling, all in one.

Caramelized Rhubarb and Yogurt Ice Pops

yield, 6-8 popsicles, depending on size

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1/4 cup honey, plus 2 tablespoons honey (or more to taste)

2 Tablespoons water

2 cups 2% greek yogurt

1/4 cup milk

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Add the 1/4 cup honey and water to a saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add in the chopped rhubarb and turn the heat down to medium. Cook the rhubarb, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb is very soft and falling apart, about 7 more minutes. Chill the rhubarb mixture thoroughly.

Whisk together the yogurt, milk, vanilla bean seeds and 2 tablespoons honey in a bowl.

Fill layer the chilled rhubarb mixture and yogurt in ice pop molds. Freeze until solid, 4 hours or overnight.