Chef Chuck's Strawberry Mascarpone Cream Torta

Torta di Fragole e Mascarpone


Strawberry mascarpone cream torta is a decadent dessert! Made with fresh organic strawberries, sweet cream, a layer of ganache, and a soft cookie like almond crust.

Strawberry and Chocolate Torta


Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
8 tablespoons butter, chilled
5-6 tablespoons cold water


Chocolate
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream


Strawberry Cream Filling

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces mascarpone
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup crushed strawberries
1 cup sliced strawberries


Toast almonds in a small frying pan on low heat for 10 minutes, chop fine. In a food processor combine flour, sugar, salt and almonds. Add butter in small pieces then add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Knead on a well floured board for a minute wrap in plastic and let rest 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees roll out dough to fit a 9 inch pie or torta pan. Grease pan and fit dough in cutting off the excess. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, remove and cool on a rack. When crust is completely cooled make the chocolate.
Chocolate
In a double boiler heat chocolate and heavy cream together, stirring. Pour chocolate into crust and smooth out to the edges. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
Cream
In a mixer beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of sugar together then add mascarpone a little at a time. Scrape down bowl, add vanilla. Fold in crushed strawberries. In a separate bowl whip cream with 1 tablespoon sugar till stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Pour onto the chocolate. Add slice strawberries.