Add a little sunshine to your dessert plate tonight with this spectacular and oh so easy Winter Citrus Mascarpone Tart. This recipe is a MUST for citrus season this year!
The month of January always seems to draaaagggggg….don’t ya think? The holidays are over, the days get colder and gloomier, and it seems like spring is eons away. It gets downright depressing actually, and it makes me a little kooky to tell ya the truth.
This time every year, I find myself breaking out the Coppertone lotion… not because I’m trying to get a tan obviously, but because that smell takes me back to the warm, beautiful days of summer. I just put a little dab on the top of my hand, rub it in, and let the smell take me away. I’ve been doing it for years. Religiously. Every January like clockwork. Kooky? Perhaps. Mood booster? Heck ya!
You know what else lifts my mood during the winter?? Citrus season!! And today, I’m BEYOND excited to share a little ray of sunshine for your winter dessert plate! I mean look at the gorgeous colors!! ↓↑
This Winter Citrus Mascarpone Tart is all that and MORE! Doesn’t it just scream, “spring and summer is just around the corner”?? And wait til you see how easy it is to whip up.
Crust Ingredients
- old-fashioned rolled oats
- whole almonds
- light brown sugar
- salt
- unsalted butter
Winter Citrus Mascarpone Tart Ingredients
- mascarpone cheese
- confectioners’ sugar
- vanilla extract
- lemon zest
- heavy cream
- blood oranges
- Cara Cara orange
- navel orange
It’s got a super simple crust of oats and almonds combined into a fine crumble, along with some brown sugar for sweetness and butter to hold it all together. A creamy, rich, velvety filling of mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, grated lemon zest and some freshly whipped cream. Yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds. Then top it all with some beautiful, sweet and tangy slices of blood, Cara Cara and traditional navel oranges.
Seriously, sooooo easy, incredibly delicious, and the perfect winter dessert to boost our spirits!
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Winter Citrus Mascarpone Tart
You will need a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe.
I used almonds for the crust, but you could substitute pecans if you prefer.
I decided on a combination of orange slices for the top of this tart. You should be able to find blood oranges this month at your local market because they’re in season now.
More Delicious Citrus Dessert Recipes to Enjoy
Winter Citrus Mascarpone Tart
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 3/4 cup whole almonds
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 12 oz. mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- grated zest of one large lemon
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Topping
- 2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 large Cara Cara orange, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 large navel orange, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust
- In a food processor, pulse the oats and the almonds until mixture resembles a fine crumble. Add the brown sugar and salt and pulse a few more times until combined. Place mixture in a bowl and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork until well combined. Press dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake on the middle rack of oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then remove from pan and place on serving platter.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and lemon zest with a rubber spatula until well blended. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand-held mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold into the mascarpone mixture.
- Spread filling on top of cooled crust to 1/2-inch from outer edge. Top filling with orange rounds. Chill for up to 3-4 hours. Serve chilled.
Notes
This recipe was originally published on January 18, 2018. I’ve updated the photos and added some notes to the post above, but the recipe remains the same.
Fantastic ! Favourite ingredients, perfect timing, perfect everything ! Tank you so much !
Thanks so much! We all need a little sunshine this time of year, right?!
Oh yes, I love this beautiful bite of sunshine! Thank heavens for citrus to brighten up this time of year. And of course, you can never ever go wrong with mascarpone :)
Thank goodness for citrus season Jennifer! I’ve been having so much fun in the kitchen the last week or two! Happy almost the weekend!
That’s too funny about the lotion, but I completely understand ;) This tart is absolutely stunning, Mary Ann, and as soon as I saw it I was, like, whoa! Those beautiful colours of the citrus is sure to make me dream of warmer days! Until then, I’ll be enjoying this beauty. Pinned. Have a wonderful weekend! XO
Citrus fruits for the win Dawn! I’m already counting down to Memorial Day! Hope you have an awesome weekend. Stay warm!
Oh my gah, I LOVE that you put on tanning lotion in the winter! Actually, that is quite genius, Mare!! I’m thinking I need to look in my beach bag and see if I still have some in there, because I want to feel like I’m at the beach too! ;) Anyways, LOVING this tart! Citrus season is one of my favorites too, and this is just a beautiful way to celebrate it! Plus you can’t beat that it’s easy to make too! Pinning! Cheers, doll! xoxo
That’s the kooky in me coming out Chey, but it really works! Perks me up and takes me away instantly! Thank God for citrus season. The colors, the flavors. I’m loving it! And this tart is honestly the easiest thing to make! Happy weekend! XO
Sunshine on a plate All. The. Way! This is gorgeous….just as gorgeous as your idea to dab Coppertone on our hand! I’ll grab the bottle from time to time, to escape into the aroma, but I’ve never thought to douse myself in it! Love it!!
Lol! Been doing it for years Annie!
I love that you are talking about Spring. I can’t believe it’s right around the corner. This beauty will cheer me up for sure!
I can’t wait for spring, because then I know summer isn’t far behind! Stay warm Karen! And go grab some citrus and get baking! Happy weekend!
So beautiful! I am loving all of the citrus right now!
Me too Leigh!
What a beautiful way to brighten up a cold winter day! I love that separate crust, it could be used for so many different desserts!
I’ve used that crust recipe for lots of things! So easy and so good!
The idea of using some sun screen in winter time because of the smell and the associated memories is really really smart! As soon as I’ve finished writing you I will look for my lotion!
And after that I’ll hop in my car to buy all the stuff I need for your wonderful Winter Citrus Mascarpone Tart.
Thanks for sharing this great tip and the yummy recipe. Stay warm!
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Lol! Thanks Eva! Hope you enjoy it! It’s a mid-winter perk up for sure!
LOVE using nuts in a crust!
So do I Jennifer! I use this crust recipe all the time and change up the kind of nuts too!
Really beautiful, love everything about this tart!
Thanks Matt!
What a great idea using almonds and oats in your crust. Even though I am not a big mascarpone fan I will try this because I have never been disappointed with your recipes. Pinned!
It’s just delicious Gerlinde! I use that crust recipe all the time, changing out the nut type every so often. Hope you enjoy this mid-winter beauty! Happy weekend!
This is so beautiful and gives such a summer time vibe! I love this!
Thanks Tieghan! Counting the days!
I feel warmer just looking at this gorgeous tart!
I know, right?! Gotta love winter citrus Sue!
Simply beautiful! Love the different colors!
Thanks Gina!
I LOL, Mary Ann!! I just wrote about Summer… OMGeee it seems so far away, but we’ll blink and it’ll be here. Your mood boosting idea is genius! And I DO look forward to summer (save the bathing suit part :/). I loooong for this time of year anyway, with the quiet of short days, gray moody skies and CITRUS! Hello – CITRUS! The flavors and ease of this tart make me happy and it’s not over the top sweet! I love that shot of you in your apron… so pretty! <3
I’ve always loved the smell of Coppertone! Reminds me of my Dad. Citrus makes these cold winter days much better Traci! I’ve been baking up a storm with it lately and having such fun! I’ll tell Tom you like that photo. He snapped it!
What a gorgeous dessert! It certainly will add a little sunshine to a winter day!
Thanks Lindsay! Love winter citrus!
I always think citrus is such a gift in the middle of January. It’s often cold and bleak, but the citrus! It brightens everything up with those deep hues of reds and orange, and makes everything pretty. What a gorgeous tart to highlight winter’s best. I love the sound of your crust! And mascarpone too! Could be dessert and then breakfast the next day!
Dessert and breakfast?! Awesome idea Emily. After all there are oats in the crust!
This is the most beautiful tart!
Thanks so much Jennifer! It’s so delicious too!
I love your Coppertone mood boosting trick. :) It’s been an unusually gray January here in the high desert – I may need to try it!
And speaking of things I need to try: this tart. It’s a showstopper – I love everything about it! And I could imagine that crust as the base of all kinds of deliciousness.
Lol! This tart is a total perker upper Marissa!
I definitely need to try your Coppertone trick! January always gets me down, down, down!! Just looking at these sunny photos with bright citrus slices is enough to bring my spirits back up! This looks and sounds like the perfect way to get through winter!!
It seems like it’s never going to end, right?! Thank God for winter citrus Katherine!
OMG Mary Ann – I’m soooo with you on the suntan lotion. January is the worst and I’ve been doing the same thing for years too. This gorgeous tart will definitely lift the spirits and bring hope of warm weather. It looks like sunshine!
That’s hilarious Rachelle! It totally works, doesn’t it?
I too go stir crazy this time of year. Not until February finally comes to a close does a glimmer of spring start to raise the spirits. The bleakness really takes it’s toll I tell ya! Gotta love the world we live in that we can get these awesome summer fruits all year to scratch the summer itch. This recipe takes advantage of all that and looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing MaryAnn!
I agree Matt. If we can only make it to the end of February quickly! So glad you like this tart. I love winter citrus season. The colors, the sweet, tangy taste of those gorgeous oranges has me dreaming of warmer days! Happy weekend!
This cake is so pretty, Mary Ann – it’s the perfect mood booster for a gloomy day. I’m drawn to food that is bright and colorful – so I just love this. And I love your little suntan lotion trick – it’s amazing what scents and smells have the power to remind us of!
Thanks so much Geraldine! I loved making this one. That crust is one of my go to crusts. I love it. It really is funny how certain smells bring back memories and can totally change a person’s mood! Happy Saturday!
This looks seriously pretty and delicious Mary Ann! Citrus fruits definitely lift my winter spirits! And I love your coppertone lotion tradition. Would totally remind me of summer and warmer days too!!
It’s so easy too Leanne! We love it! I use that crust over and over for lots of different tarts.
Such a beautiful tart to brighten up these cold winter days!
Yes! Can’t beat those oranges Laura.
That’s a stunning tart!! Love that zesty mascarpone filling and that oaty tart crust! Those beautiful oranges make this such a fancy dessert!!
They do all the work to make it fancy don’t they?!
Even though Mr Picky cannot pronounce the name of this tart he gives it a thumbs up. So light and refreshing!