Pineapple/Lime Tart

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Something Sweet

A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch. -- James Beard

The flogging (food-blogging) community has a number of regularly scheduled virtual events. Some of them I try to always participate in and others I join as the mood or muse strike me. One of them is named Sugar High Fridays and the challenge is to submit a dessert recipe linked to the host's chosen theme. I'm not a regular participant in that event, but last June the theme was tarts and it caught my fancy.

I decided almost immediately on a lemon or lime tart in order to keep the sweetness down, but traditionally tarts display fruit on top and I didn't want to take the time to candy slices of lemon or lime. That meant the citrus had to go in the filling. Which brought up another constraint -- I refused to use crème anglaise as the filling. Clichés become such by being overused. Crème anglaise is even worse -- it's an overused cliché.

For the filling I decided on something cheesecake-like because it would support and moderate the citrus flavor. Then I went back to thinking about the topping and decided pineapple would combine nicely with lime.

The last order of business was the pastry itself. For some reason puff pastry seemed, without question, the proper base. So I didn't question.

Pineapple/Lime Tart

8 oz mascarpone
3 oz cream cheese -- room temperature
1 egg
1/4 c lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz peeled and cored fresh pineapple
2 sheets puff pastry
3 oz pineapple juice
1 tsp corn starch

Heat oven to 425F.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix first seven ingredients.

Slice pineapple into 1/4" rings and cut each ring in half.

Unfold pastry and place on parchment paper on cookie sheets. Dock center of sheets, leaving a 1/2" border. Spread filling on pastry sheets leaving border uncovered. Arrange pineapple slices, interlocking half rings in a chain-like pattern.

Bake on middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are puffed and brown.

Meanwhile, simmer pineapple juice until reduced by half. Combine corn starch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water and stir into pineapple juice to thicken. Brush glaze on tarts after removing from oven.