Sometimes a recipe starts with an image in my head and the flavors follow. On a recent trip to the farmers’ market, I was captivated by jewel-toned plums, plumcots, and pluots. I pictured a tart topped with alternating half-moon slices in pink and deep red. From that visual came a flavor pairing: honey, fresh ginger, and a rich mascarpone filling. A few no-bake cheesecake variations I had seen online nudged me toward a creamy, refrigerator-set filling, and buying a new square tart pan gave me the perfect vessel to bring the idea to life.
The concept became clear: a plum or plumcot tart featuring a no-bake honey-ginger mascarpone cheesecake filling in a browned-butter shortbread crust. The only obstacle was the crust. I usually rely on a tried-and-true sweet pastry dough, but my cookbooks were packed after a move, so I tried a standard shortcrust recipe I found online. The result was disappointing — an unevenly browned, crumbly shell. It made me rethink the base and consider a sturdier shortbread-style crust that would complement the filling.
Luckily, inspiration struck while watching a recorded episode of America’s Test Kitchen: a shortbread crust made with browned butter. That crust had the exact balance of nuttiness and structure I wanted. Browning the butter deepens the flavor and pairs beautifully with honey, ginger, and stone fruit. Once baked and cooled, the crust provides a firm, buttery foundation for a smooth, no-bake mascarpone filling and delicate slices of fruit.
This tart is flexible and forgiving. Choose any ripe but firm plums, pluots, or plumcots; red- and pink-fleshed varieties make the most striking presentation. For a neat, uniform look I used a cookie cutter to punch 1/4-inch-thick circles from plum slices and halved them to create alternating half-moon patterns. If you prefer a simpler approach, thinly sliced fruit arranged in overlapping rows over the chilled filling works just as well.
Plum Tart with Honey Ginger Mascarpone Filling
This tart layers ripe plums or plumcots on a no-bake honey-ginger mascarpone cheesecake filling set in a browned-butter shortbread crust. The crust is adapted from an America’s Test Kitchen shortbread technique and adds a nutty richness that complements the fruit and honey.
Ingredients
Browned Butter Crust
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsp sugar
- generous 1/8 tsp salt
- 12 1/2 tbsp (1/2 cup plus 4 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tbsp water
Filling
- 4 oz neufchâtel or regular cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 5 tbsp honey
- 5 oz mascarpone
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 5–7 plums, pluots, or plumcots, ripe but firm
Instructions
Browned Butter Crust
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, swirling occasionally. Allow the foam to subside and watch for the butter solids to turn golden and emit a nutty, toasted aroma. Remove from heat and add the water; the mixture will bubble. When bubbling calms, pour the browned butter into the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch square or 10-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, until just warm to the touch.
- Press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using roughly two-thirds for the base and one-third for the sides.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 25–30 minutes, rotating halfway through for even color.
- Allow the baked crust to cool completely, at least one hour, before filling.
Filling
- Grate the peeled ginger finely with a microplane over a small bowl. Press the grated ginger in a fine-mesh strainer to extract the juice, discarding the solids. Reserve the ginger juice.
- With an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone and heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer this whipped mascarpone to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Using the mixer (no need to clean it first), blend the room-temperature cream cheese with the ginger juice and honey until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired by adding a little more honey or a teaspoon or two of sugar.
- Fold the whipped mascarpone mixture into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and silky.
- Spread the filling into the cooled tart crust, smoothing the top. Refrigerate the tart for at least three hours, or until the filling is set.
- Just before serving, slice the plums or plumcots to your preferred thickness. Arrange the slices over the chilled mascarpone filling in a single layer or in a decorative pattern. Keep the tart refrigerated and serve the same day for best texture and flavor.