Cream-Cheesy Ginger And Lemon Tart

I had some mascarpone and cream cheese in the fridge recently, so I whipped up a tart.  Ooh, that sounds kinda kinky, doesn't it?:=)  I wanted to use some of the naked ginger I had lurking too.  Crikey, this is getting even kinkier.  But it wasn't a kinky tart, honestly.  I first made this with a shortcrust pastry base but Mr P. says he prefers a biscuit crumb version so here we are.  I really like the one that Nigella uses for her Nutella cheesecake, so I've adapted that.  Well, used hers pretty much, but without the nuts, and with added ginger.  The great thing about this tart is that everything is done in a processor - easy peasy lemon squeezy.    

delicious not kinky at all tart

Recipe by Sherry's Pickings:

Serves 8:


ingredients:


For the base:


250g. digestive biscuits or similar plain biscuit (I used McVitie's)

75g. soft (not melted) butter

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbs of Nutella or nut paste of your choice - I used Lindt paste



For the filling:


1 x 250g. tub of soft Philly cheese

1 x 250g. tub of mascarpone cheese

4 tbs (c. 50g.) icing sugar/powdered sugar

1-2 tsp of vanilla extract

zest and juice of 1 lemon   (my lemon gave me 45 mLs)

zest of 1 orange

zest of 1 lime

40g. naked/uncrystallised ginger, chopped very finely

30g. dark chocolate drops



For the topping:


2 pears, sliced thinly - or use a 410g. tin of pear slices if you can't get/be bothered with fresh ones

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp butter

2/3 of a Flake bar or 2 tbs grated chocolate



Method:

Base:

Break up the biscuits roughly, and throw them into a food processor 

Add the butter, ground ginger and nut paste and give it a good whizz

Now pulse till you have  clumps of damp, sandy stuff

Press into a 22 or 23cm. springform pan that you have lined on the bottom with baking paper

Whack it in the fridge while you make the filling

Filling:

Spoon the cream cheese into your food processor (no need to wash it after making the base), and give it a quick whizz

Now add the mascarpone and icing sugar, and whizz together

Add the vanilla and the zests and pulse briefly

Stir in the ginger and the chocolate drops - do it in the processor bowl and save washing-up:=)

Spoon onto the base and level it out a bit

Refrigerate overnight

The next day, do the topping:

Toss the pear slices with the cardamom, ginger and brown sugar

Tip onto a lined baking tray

Dot the butter over the pear slices and bake at 180C for 12 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 12 mins

Flip and bake longer if not tender

Let them cool completely on a wire rack

Place artistically over the top of the filling

Break up the Flake bar over it all, or sprinkle your grated choc over



Notes: 


Feel free to use a plain nut paste without chocolate if you wish

My tablespoon holds about 12g. of icing sugar.  If you're using a U.S. spoon, it holds about 8g., so use a couple more spoonfuls:=)

I ended up blitzing the ginger till almost a paste, but you can just chop very finely

Just FYI - the filling sets very softly, so you get a lovely, creamy result 

base ready to be refrigerated 

zap the filling and add the zests

level the filling over the biscuit base 

bake the pear slices at 180C

the next day, arrange the pear slices over the top and add the chocolate 

smooth and creamy and a wee bit spicy    

pear artwork by sherry's pickings