Silky, smooth, creamy and utterly fragrant, this saffron & mascarpone tart is one not to be ignored. And how about that colour!

When I cross paths with a recipe that grabs me immediately I don’t see the point in filing it away. Case in point with this glorious tart concocted by my friend David (and his good friend) over at Cocoa & Lavender.

I needed to make this one asap.

Mascarpone spiked with saffron, honey and lemon zest, and a shortbread crust taken to new levels with flecks of fresh rosemary.

It smells a little like Italy, don’t you think?

This is an easy one to make and a very easy one to eat, and despite using just one tablespoon of rosemary, rather than two, those glorious aromatics still danced on my tongue like the tarantella.

David’s original recipe is here.

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Saffron & mascarpone tart

The unusual, yet delicious combination of saffron, rosemary and lemon make this delicious Saffron & Mascarpone Tart shine

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

Italian

Servings

slices

Ingredients

• 250 g pure butter shortbread
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 5 tbsp butter melted
• 500 g mascarpone cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 lemon zest only
• ½ tsp saffron threads, crushed or 2 packets powdered saffron
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 pinch salt

Course Dessert Cuisine Italian Servings slices Ingredients 250 g pure butter shortbread 2 tbsp sugar 1-2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped 5 tbsp butter melted 500 g mascarpone cheese 3 eggs 1 lemon zest only ½ tsp saffron threads, crushed or 2 packets powdered saffron ¼ cup honey 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 205°C.
2. Process the shortbread into fine crumbs, then add the sugar and rosemary and process until very fine.
3. Transfer the crumbs into large mixing bowl and stir through the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 23cm tart pan with removable bottom.
4. Line a baking tray with a few sheets of paper kitchen towels and sit the filled tart pan on top. Bake the tart base for 10 minutes. The paper will absorb any butter that melts through the tin.
5. Wipe out the mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture into the par-baked crust, Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C and return the tart to the oven.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and the filling has set. There still should be some wobble in the filling. Allow the tart to cool completely, then refrigerate before serving.

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of rosemary. I thought I had enough but when I chopped it, it only amounted to one. It's still a sufficient amount to taste the rosemary throughout.

The original recipe also calls for Trefoils, but these aren't available in Australia, as far as I know. I used Walker's Shortbread as a substitute, but any very good shortbread would do.

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