Mascarpone and Prune Tartlets

ingredients

• 10 pitted prunes (1/4 cup, sometimes called dried plums)
• 1/4 cup Armagnac
• Sweet pastry dough for a single-crust pie
• 1 cup mascarpone (from an 1 cups container)
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
•  ,
• Special equipment: a 5 inch round cookie cutter, 6 (4- by 0.75 inch) fluted round tartlet pans, pie weights or raw rice

directions

Bring prunes and Armagnac just to a simmer in a 1 quart saucepan, then let stand, covered, 1 hour.

Roll out dough into a 15 inch round (about 0.125 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, lifting up dough occasionally and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cut out 6 rounds with 5 inch cutter. Fit each round into a tartlet pan and trim edge. Chill tartlet shells 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain prunes, reserving Armagnac in pan, and cut into roughly 0.25 inch pieces, then return to Armagnac. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Lightly prick bottoms of tartlet shells all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until sides are set and edges are pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shells until golden brown, 13 minutes more. Remove from oven and increase heat to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, stir together mascarpone, yolks, sugar, zest, vanilla, and salt.

Spoon 1/4 cup mascarpone mixture into each warm tartlet shell, then divide prunes evenly among tartlets. Bake tartlets until custard is pale golden and slightly puffed, about 25 minutes. Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans (if tartlets stick to pans, gently pry side of tartlets loose with tip of a paring knife) and cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Cooks' notes:

Tartlets can be baked and cooled 1 day ahead, then chilled, loosely wrapped in foil. Recrisp in a 350 degrees oven until heated through, about 5 minutes, then cool on a rack 15 minutes.

This recipe can also be made using a single 9.5- by 1 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake as directed.