Chocolate shortbread tart cases are filled with a cheesecake mixture of lime curd and mascarpone. Needless to say these chocolate tarts are absolutely divine. There’s also a recipe for chocolate shortbread hearts.
Some time ago now I bought four little tart cases which I’ve been wanting to bake with. Intentions are all well and good, but I didn’t actually get around to it until a couple of weeks ago.
Chocolate Tarts with Lime Curd & Mascarpone
As soon as I made the lime and ginger curd though, I knew I wanted to use it in a tart with chocolate pastry to contrast with that beautiful yellow. But how to do it? Just the lime curd on its own would be too intense. It needed toning down and mascarpone seemed like the right thing to do it with.
CityHippyFarmGirl has been trying to get me to use mascarpone for a while now and I’ve certainly been inspired by her use of it. She even makes her own. So the big question was, did I put a layer of mascarpone at the bottom and top it with the curd or did I mix the two together? Visually, the tarts would have looked more impressed topped by the curd, but taste wise, I thought it would work better mixed. So that is what I did.
The mascarpone lime curd filling was delicious. I could quite easily have eaten the whole bowlful that I’d made. Thankfully I managed to restrain myself. I’m glad I did, because as I’d imagined, it paired extremely well with the chocolate shortbread and was truly delicious. It wasn’t as intensely sherbety as the lime curd buttercream I made, but the flavour was still zingy.
CT, who had no idea what these chocolate tarts were before tasting them, identified the crust as shortbread straight away. He likes shortbread. He thought the lime was riding the crest of the creaminess and it tasted like real lime too. The contrast of texture & flavour was superlative and it made him want to roll it around in his mouth again and again with his eyes closed.
To conclude, he thought it was a superior kind of cheesecake. He was also pleased to get to eat a whole one all by himself, even if it was rather small.
To decorate the chocolate tarts, drizzle some lemon curd over the top and then grate on a little chocolate.
After you’ve cut the tart cases, bring all the scraps together and roll out again to the same thickness. Then cut out into heart shaped biscuits and place on a lined baking tray.
What to Use Instead of Lime Curd
You can, of course, swap the lime curd for your favourite fruit curd. I’m convinced that homemade is better than shop bought, but I leave that to you.
Here are some of the ones I’ve made. Hand on heart, I can’t tell you which is my favourite. They are all so good.
- Apple & lemon curd
- Blood orange curd
- Lemon curd
- Passionfruit curd
- Raspberry & rose curd
- Rhubarb & elderflower curd
Chocolate Shortbread Hearts
Other than a standard set of three round cutters in varying sizes and a gingerbread man, I don’t have any fun ones suitable for biscuits. So recently, I treated myself and bought a set of tea party cookie cutters. It was the teapot that won me over.
The cutters are sturdy and well made, but quite large. The resulting biscuits are not for the faint hearted. I rather feel that my decorating skills might be put to the test at some point. But meanwhile I used the excess tart dough to make these chocolate shortbread hearts.
They kept well and were really tasty. It was actually quite nice to have a large heart to munch on.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these chocolate tarts or indeed the chocolate shortbread hearts, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more pastry recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Mascarpone & Lime Curd Chocolate Tarts. PIN IT.
Chocolate Tarts with Lime Curd & Mascarpone – The Recipe
Chocolate Tarts with Lime Curd & Mascarpone
Ingredients
Chocolate Shortbread Tart Cases
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 70 g golden caster sugar
- 175 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 60 g semolina
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 1 pinch sea salt
Mascarpone Filling
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 4 tbsp lime curd, plus a little extra to decorate
- chocolate for grating over the top
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.175 g unsalted butter, 70 g golden caster sugar
- Mix in the flour, semolina, cocoa and salt.175 g plain flour (all purpose flour), 60 g semolina, 20 g cocoa powder, 1 pinch sea salt
- Bring it together with your hands and knead briefly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Roll out on a floured surface to about 1.2 cm thick. Cut four circles from a small saucer and press them into four 10 cm buttered tart tins with push up bottoms.
- Trim the edges with a knife.
- Bring all the scraps together and roll out again to the same thickness. Then cut out into heart shaped biscuits and place on a lined baking tray.
- Bake the tarts and biscuits at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 10-12 minutes until just starting to turn golden.
- Leave to cool.
- Mix the mascarpone with the lime curd.250 g mascarpone cheese, 4 tbsp lime curd, plus a little extra to decorate
- Divide the mixture between the tart cases.
- Blob some lime curd over the surface in an, ahem, arty sort of way.
- Scatter a little grated chocolate over the tops.chocolate for grating over the top
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing these lime curd & mascarpone chocolate tarts with Apply to Face Blog for #BakingCrumbs.
Jacqui – Recipes Made Easy:Only Crumbs Remain says
These sound delcious. They look good too!
Choclette says
Thanks Jacqui. As long as you’ve got a good fruit curd, they’re super simple to make too.
Jenny Walters says
I saw these yesterday and swooned!!!! Some of my favourite flavour combos right here! Simple but beautifully executed and what a versatile recipe. I love your chocolate hearts too. I keep meaning to try making curd. I have made lemon curd before but would really like to try some other fruity combos. Have pinned all your recipes for some serious curding! Thank you so much for linking with #BakingCrumbs
Choclette says
Thanks Jenny. How about blood orange curd, whilst they’re in season? That’s a lovely one.
JaynesDen says
These look so pretty.
Choclette says
Aarthi – thank you for your kind comment and apologies for taking so long to spot it!
Aarthi says
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Aarthi says
This looks yummy….you have a lovely blog…I am having a giveaway in my blog..Y dont you check and join that.
Choclette says
CityHippy – Am I converted? I can’t get enough of the stuff and have used it several times already. Naughty habits such as these should be encouraged I reckon 😉
cityhippyfarmgirl says
So are you converted? 🙂
These look beautiful. I might have to play with something similar. Curd is such a delicious thing to put in anything. My trouble is if it’s in the house, I have a naughty habit of eating it just with a spoon and it doesn’t actually get anywhere near a dessert.
So will mascarpone be back?
Choclette says
Jill – Excellent, thank you. A virtual tasting is a great way not to feel guilty 😉
Ananda – You can probably tell, I’ve got the mascarpone obsession now too!
C – thank you. Sometimes (quite often in fact) the simpler things are the best.
C says
They look fabulous – a great use of the chocolate shortbread recipe, the tins and the curd. Lovely combo!
Ananda Rajashekar says
trust me I’m dead seeing those tart, mascarpone is my current obsession! can’t get enough of it…ur tarts are darn cute!
Choclette says
Baking Addict & LF – thank you. These tins were one of the better buys I’ve made – well worth having.
CC – thank you kindly – I shall be using the chocolate shortbread pastry again. Just need to think of a few more things to fill the tarts with. Not too difficult a task I suspect.
Jill@MadAboutMacarons says
Hmmm. Chocolate lime sounds fantastic – but with that lime and ginger curd, too? Heaven! Love the combination of flavours in there. You’ve described it so well that I feel I just tasted one. Merci !
The Caked Crusader says
Am loving the chocolate pastry – the tarts look so professional!
LF says
Looks gorgeous! I am on the look-out for mini tart tins. They are good both for sweet and savoury.
Baking Addict says
These look so cute, I want some mini tart tins too! The flavour combination sounds delicious.
Choclette says
Maggie – thank you. Am now thinking they’d be rather good as dainty little bites, although I do quite like the idea of being able to get truly stuck in too 🙂
Hopeeternal – glad you made the curd and even more glad you enjoyed it. How about having the tarts as a treat when you get home to assuage those post holiday blues 😉
Now Serving – thank you.
Sarah – yes do make some curd. So many lovely things to do with it – on toast is pretty good 🙂
Catherine – I bet you are right there. Liking the idea of cherry curd.
Karolina – good news. Thank you.
Hazel – thanks. They could probably be littler, but I’d only have had two if they had been.
Jay – thanks for the comment and thanks for following.
MCB – thank you
Choclette says
Aforkful – thanks for enthusiastic response. I’ve come across some very interesting fruit curds recently – so much to try, so little time.
Hanna – nothing a good bowl of muesli wouldn’t cure 😉
Suelle – strangely, I hadn’t thought of these as a cheesecake when making them. It was only when writing up that I got that one sussed :-S
Dom – dead simple and would be great at one of your events done in small little jam tart tins.
Johanna – oozing is fine by me. I did wonder as to the best way of doing these, but didn’t think about your way. Nice idea.
Maria – thank you. Chocolate and lime have become one of my new passions 😉
Alice – so worth trying.
Xinmei – I’ll be watching your blog to see what wonderful tarts you come up with.
Janice – thank you
MissCakeBaker says
These look fab and sure they taste just as good!
Jay says
wat a fantastic recipe…absolutely delicious..
new to your space..fascinating colleciton of recipes you have..
Am your happy follower now..:)
do stop by mine sometime..Event: Letz Relishh Ice Creams
Hazel says
These look like the perfect little treat with a wonderful contrast of textures and flavours!
Karolina says
Hi! I have got news for you:
http://sensesinthekitchen-karolina.blogspot.com/2011/05/and-winner-is.html
Conratulations and please – can I have your full details on my e-mail?
Have a lovely day!
Catherine says
They look divine! I’m not a fan of citrus things, but I bet that gorgeous shortbread and mascarpone filling would be wonderful with a cherry type curd too!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
Oh my! These look divine, I am crazy about chocolate and lime! Must make my own curd soon…
Now Serving says
Really too delicious!
hopeeternalcookbook says
I made some of the Lime & Ginger Curd last week and it was delicious – perhaps I ought to have a go at these tarts too. Only problem is I am trying to lose some weight before I go on holiday – sigh!
hopeeternal
‘Meanderings through my Cookbook’
Maggie says
These tarts look wonderful and would definitely be a hit with me!
Janice says
Perfect!
Xinmei @ Pudding Pie Lane says
I’m absolutely addicted to lemon curd so I’m sure I’ll love these too! I’ve always been meaning to make tarts, hope they turn out as lovely as yours did 🙂
Alice says
These look wonderful, definitely one I’ll try at some point!
Maria♥ says
Chocolate and lime work wonderfully together. These tarts look heavenly!
Maria
x
Johanna GGG says
look lovely – I had thought maybe you would have the lime curd on the bottom covered by marscapone – that would look great when you bit in (or would it just ooze)
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
ahh, these look heavenly Choclette, I love the light creaminess of them combined with the heavy shortbread crust, simply divine… I really want one now!!
Suelle says
These little tarts look delicious, and it’s a very simple way to make a cheesecake dessert!
Hanna says
I seriously shouldnt have looked at this post before breakfast! Even more hungry now! Pastry looks amazing!
aforkfulofspaghetti says
I can imagine that those are heavenly – fabulous combination of flavours! I think fruit curds are due a revival… perhaps your tarts will help with that! 🙂