The Bake-Off is Coming: Cherry Almond Brunch Tart

CakeSpy Note: OMG! The 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited early by sharing some of the finalists' recipes. Narrowed down from zillions of entries, I'll profile some of the 100 finalists--but of course, based on the subject matter of this site, I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below the post to see which ones have been posted so far. Enjoy! 

Who says you can't enjoy a brunch treat on a weekday? This amazing Cherry Almond Brunch Tart, I'd warrant a guess, is just as good for breakfast, lunch, or dessert. It was dreamed up by Antoinette Leal of Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 1 Hr 35 Min Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
• 4 cups sliced almonds
• 1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 jar (12 oz) Red Tart Cherry Preserves
• 1 container (8 oz) mascarpone cheese

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Unroll pie crust; place in ungreased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press crust firmly against bottom and side of pan; trim excess crust. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, reserve 1/4 cup of the almonds. Place remaining almonds in food processor. Cover; process until coarsely ground. In large bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, butter, almond extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt on medium speed until creamy. Stir in ground nuts until well blended.
3. Spread 3/4 cup of the preserves over bottom of partially baked crust. Carefully spread almond mixture over preserves, covering bottom of crust completely.
4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until center is set and edges are golden brown. Remove to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Remove side of pan; cool 30 minutes.
5. In small bowl, mix mascarpone cheese and remaining 1/4 cup preserves until well blended. Top individual servings of tart with mascarpone mixture and reserved 1/4 cup almonds. Serve warm or cool.