Marscapone Custard Tart

Daria Souvorova

1 hour 3o minutes
serves: 12-16 people

Some recipes are planned, others are the result of accidents…and this was a beautiful accident. I was preparing for my book launch and kneading bread as my egg whites for my Tiramisu were whipping up. I got them to that beautiful firm peak, and proceeded to mix my mascarpone egg yolk mixture in…and I figured, I would just let my KitchenAid mix them together on the lowest setting. Wrong! I always say fold egg whites in by hand, and I didn’t follow my own advice! As the two mixed, the egg whites fell and turned into a delicious but liquidy mess that would never work for tiramisu.

I panicked! I tried adding gelatin, I tried refrigerating it, nothing worked. But…It was so delicious! I decided to make a graham cracker crust and cook it like a cheesecake. It turned out wonderfully silky and complex. A bit like a Creme Brûlée since the top browned a bit in the baking process.

I will be making this on purpose!

The original Tiramisu recipe was created for our Venetian Dinner last year (find all of our Venetian recipes in Chez Nous: Communal Dinners)! I brought the recipe back for the book launch of my first cookbook Chez Nous: Communal Dinners this past Saturday.

Generally, we serve sit-down dinners, but for this reception, I wanted to feature recipes from the book that could be made in advance and served buffet style so I did not have to worry about anything being too cold or losing its texture throughout the event. I focused on appetizers and desserts. I served five different appetizers from the book including Baba Ganoush, Cilantro Chutney, Hummus, with Buttered Naan as well as Sardele in Saor Crostini and Fresh Mozzarella Pesto Crostini. Our desserts included a beautiful Tiramisu from our Venice Chapter, a Sweet Potato Batatada from our Macao Chapter, A Sweet Cheese Martabak from Jerusalem, and a Victoria Sandwich Cake from the High Tea Guide.

Ingredients:

• • 3/4 cup (250 g) sugar
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) Marsala
  • 18 ounces (500 g) mascapone
  • 1 1/2 cup graham crackers, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons butter

1. 1. 1. 1. In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites until firm.
         2. Separately, add sugar and Marsala to egg yolks. Whisk until pale and fluffy. Add mascarpone. Mix the egg whites and the yolk mixture.
         3. Preheat oven to 425°F
            Crush graham crackers and mix with melted butter. Press into an even layer on the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
         4. Wrap bottom of the pan in aluminum foil.
            Pour in the mascarpone mixture.
            Place the pan into a larger baking dish, fill the larger pan halfway up the spring form pan with water. Bake for 15 minutes.
            Lower heat to 350°F and bake for another hour until set and the top is golden.
         5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.