This delectable tart combines sweet with savoury to make a dessert that's much easier to prepare than it looks.

Take a no-holds-barred approach to your final course and prepare this daring dessert that mingles a colourful array of zesty oranges slices with creamy mascarpone cheese, rich dark chocolate, toasted almonds and a touch of maple. Bonus? It will look ambitious to everyone at your table, but it’s totally a breeze to make!

 

Ingredients

• 1 box (397 g) puff pastry
• ½ cup melted dark chocolate
• 1 egg yolk, whisked
• 1-½ cups mascarpone cheese
• ½ cup soft cream cheese
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 3 oranges (blood, navel and clementine), peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
• ½ cup toasted sliced almonds
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup

Directions

1 On a floured surface, roll out the pastry into two 9" x 13" sheets that are each 1/8" thick. Trim each to form a rectangle and discard the excess. Place one pastry sheet on a baking sheet and prick all over using a fork; set aside. Cut the second pastry sheet lengthwise into 3 even strips; spread the melted chocolate evenly over two of the strips. Place one chocolate strip on top of the other and top with the third clean strip. Slice lengthwise into 8 long strips. Carefully twist two strips together to form a spiral shape. Repeat with the remaining six strips to make four twists in total.

2 Brush the outside edges of the pastry sheet with some of the egg yolk. Carefully lay the twists on the outside edges of the pastry while pressing gently to adhere. Place the tart in the fridge to firm up for 10 to 15 minutes.

3 In a bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar and orange zest. Spread the mixture evenly over the pastry. Arrange the orange slices neatly overtop. Brush the chocolate twist
edges with the remaining egg yolk.

4 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the tart on the centre rack for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

5 Serve the tart sprinkled with the toasted almonds and a drizzle of the maple syrup.

Serves 10 to 12

Tip: This tart is easy to modify based on your own taste. Try topping it with toasted hazelnuts instead of almonds, or honey instead of maple syrup.

(This recipe was originally featured in our September 2013 issue.)