The best thing about this dessert is that it’s light and fresh. Yes, there’s chocolate and lots of cream but it doesn’t weigh down the palate with richness. The tartness of the berries cuts through the cream. It’s just delightful! I was in charge of dessert on Christmas Day and this is what I made to go with our fabulous meal (the rest of it all cooked by Sam’s mom).
(Adapted from Cooking with Ruthie)
Ingredients:
(For Crust)
2 sleeves of Oreo cookies
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
4 tablespoons of dark chocolate shavings
(For Blackberry Compote)
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen blackberries
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of salt
(For Filling)
1/2 cup of mascarpone
1 cup of whipping cream
3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
Additional dark chocolate or whip cream for toppings.
Instructions:
Pulse all the oreos in a food processor until they are finely crushed. Add them into a bowl and then pour in your melted butter. Mix it all together. Gently press the crumb mixture into your tart pan with your fingertips, building up the sides. Place the crust in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
In a medium pan, add the blackberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and mix together. Bring the pan to a gently simmer. Then turn the heat down a bit and reduce the liquid in half. Press on the blackberries to release the juices. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the compote through a mesh strainer into a small bowl. Lightly press on the berries in the strainer to release more juice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and put the blackberries in another bowl. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, whip the cream into stiff peaks and then gently fold in the powdered sugar. In another bowl, add in your mascarpone. Then fold in 3/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. (Set aside 1/4 of the whipped cream in the refrigerator for topping.) Add the creamy mixture into the crust and gently spread it with a small spatula. Refrigerate your tart until serving.
Right before serving spread the berries on top of your tart and then drizzle the compote over the top. Top with additional chocolate shavings and whipped cream if desired.
Yum! A creamy, berry delight!
