Nectarine Cream Tart in a Gingersnap Crust is a cool, delicious dessert that you can enjoy whether summer is in full force or is in its last days. And it looks as beautiful as it is tasty!
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I first found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen's website several years ago and later learned that it was originally a Bon Appetit recipe. Which usually means that it can be trusted! We make this dessert every summer and look forward to it immensely!
The ginger flavor in the crust comes from gingersnap cookies. Use any brand you like or make your own. I use the gluten-free ones made by Mi-Del.
Process them in a food processor, then mix with melted butter and press into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom so that it's easier to serve. To press the crumbs in, I like to use a measuring cup. Fewer crumbs stick to my hands and I get a more even crust thickness.
The crust needs a simple eight minutes in the oven … just to set it and toast it a bit.
The filling for this cream tart is so delicious. The base is mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, just a wee bit of sugar, lemon peel, and vanilla extract.
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese from the Lombardy region. It has a much higher fat content that our American cream cheese because its base is heavy cream. If you can't find it, you can use all cream cheese, but the taste and texture will be slightly different.
The original recipe calls for candied ginger in both the cream filling and as a topping. However, I find that it's too chewy with the creaminess of the filling and the beautiful texture of the nectarines. So I leave it out and enjoy the ginger flavor from the cookies in the crust.
Tips for putting the filling in the crust
- Let the crust cool fully.
- Spoon the filling evenly across the crust to aid in spreading it out.
- Spread it carefully, using much the same technique as you would when frosting a cake. Spread, but don't pull back too much.
- When you see crumbs pulling up, let go, and push from another place.
The crust and filling can be done ahead and I recommend making them the day before you'll serve the tart, actually, although a couple of hours is plenty.
The final bit is cutting the nectarines into beautiful slices and laying them in a beautiful, flower-petal-like pattern on the filling. If you have a daughter, such as I have, who is so precise with the slicing, you should definitely employ her by keeping the grandchildren occupied while she styles your pie.
Top it all with a bit of peach jam to keep the nectarines from browning and to make it patisserie-worthy. Cut it immediately to serve, but if you have to hold it to serve it later, hold it a maximum of six hours. If you hold it longer, the crust will start to get soggy making it harder to serve beautifully.
At any level, this Nectarine Cream Tart is a quintessential summer dessert that you must add to your collection of recipes.
Other recipes you might like:
Recipe
Nectarine Cream Tart in Gingersnap Crust
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2¼ cups gingersnap cookies ground | I buy the gluten-free Midel brand.
- ¼ cup butter melted
For the Filling
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel grated
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 4-5 small nectarines peeling left on and sliced in thin slices
- ¼ cup peach jam
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. (I like to use a cold metal measuring cup to get a nice, clear demarcation between the base and sides.)
- Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
For the Filling
- Beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread filling in prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
For the Topping
- Overlap nectarine slices on top of the filling in concentric circles starting at the edges and working in to the center. Spread the jam over the nectarine slices.
- Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated for up to 6 hours.
Joan Sides
Okay Readers....you are seriously missing out on one of the best tarts ever if you do not make this one!! I got the nectarines a few days ago to be sure that they were ripe and not mealy. My spouse and I thought I might have a "nailed it" NOT situation when the pie crust first came out of the oven. Following Tammy's instructions the pie crust took the entire 8 oz bag of Midel gluten free ginger snaps. I used 1/4 cup butter plus 1 Tablespoon butter in the crust - don't ask why that extra tablespoon went in as it was the result of another near failure in the process! As the crust baked it must have started melting as Tammy mentions but I neglected to check. The crust looked like one giant gingersnap cookie in a glass pie dish (no tart pan here). Fortunately I was able to go back to the pie crust and use a wooden spoon as she suggests to ever-so-gently reform the shape back into a pie crust. I returned it to the oven for an extra 2 minutes. After cooling the crust for 10 minutes I put it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before adding the filling. None of the pie crust came up while gently spreading the filling. Yay! My end result is not as pretty as Tammy's because I did not have her "sous chef" here to cut perfect uniform slices nor to help with the overlapping layers. Kudos to her daughter given that finished look of perfection! My version you can see via the shared link. Now, after reading this and laughing at my silly errors do go straight to Walmart (or order from Amazon) for those gingersnap cookies and your local market for seasonally fresh Nectarines. This tort is so incredibly delicious your family and/or guests will praise you. Many thanks to Chez Nous/Tammy for continuing to inspire us. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211387876053085&set=a.1063885377843&type=3&theater
JS
you posted this for me, right? tee hee. you KNOW i love a good tart and have made your lemon one. Yum. This one is next! I googled those gluten free cookies and found that Walmart carries them. Not sure if they carry in stock or delivery only but at least I know where they can be found.
Tammy Circeo
Of course, I did! 🙂 I hope you'll enjoy it.
Joan Sides
Do you happen to remember approximately how many cookies were needed for 2 1/4 cup ground cookies? I am looking at the 8 oz bag from Amazon and wondering if I needed to order more than the single bag.
Tammy Circeo
You should be fine with one package!