The Supermarket Duck Pond House Incident: Mascarpone Spelt Apple Crumble Tart

inmykitchenwithyou
2 days ago
5 min read

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones you never meant to make ...

This tart was supposed to be an almond-based apple crumble tart with a Mascarpone and cream cheese filling.

Slice of crumb-topped cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a white plate, gold spoon, served on a wicker table.

It was a perfectly straightforward plan, or so I thought! ...

Instead, I went to the super in a thunderstorm, waded barefoot through a flooded car park to rescue my car, forgot the ground almonds I had actually gone to supermarket to buy, and ended up making this ... But this is recipe is proof that sometimes a quick substitution can make a better end result ... So are we sitting comfortably? The I shall begin ...

The day the supermarket became Duck Pond House

Monday had already decided it was going to be one of those days ... The plan was to wait for the worst of the heat to ease before heading to supermarket for some ground almonds. The sky had other ideas.

At first it was just looking a little ominous. Then came the thunder. Then came the rain. And when I say rain, I mean horizontal, end-of-days, supermarket-security-door-power-shower rain

By the time we'd paid for the shopping, the car park had become a small lake ... And there was my car ... The only car in that particular bit of the car park, sitting in the middle of the water like a shiny blue duck house thoughtfully provided by the supermarket for the local wildlife.

Naturally, I decided the duck house needed rescuing. Now, I am only 4ft 11in, but I am also a game bird and I will not be defeated by a minor car-park disaster ... We tried to find a route through. There wasn't one. I removed my rather lovely flip-flops, hitched up my long floaty dress, after briefly considering the distinctly undignified seaside option of tucking it into my knickers, grabbed the trolley and waded in ... Barefoot.

The water was already shin-deep and getting deeper ... My daughter, meanwhile, had found a tiny patch of high ground and was apparently waiting to be rescued herself.

Did she help?

No.

Did she push the trolley?

No.

Did she provide moral support?

Absolutely not.

She filmed the whole thing ... If that footage ever appears, I would like it recorded that any girlie squealing was entirely proportionate to the circumstances.

Eventually I reached the car, loaded the shopping, and carefully escaped the supermarket wetlands.

Duck house rescued.

Flip-flops rescued.

Dignity somewhat less certain.

And then I discovered I'd forgotten the almonds

The following morning, I gathered everything together to make my tart.

Flour? Check.

Mascarpone? Check.

Cream cheese? Check.

Apples? Check.

Ground almonds?

... Nope.

I had survived a torrential downpour, conducted Operation Save the Duck House and potentially produced material for a rather unfortunate social-media reel... and I'd forgotten the one thing I'd actually gone to the supermarket for.

There was really only one thing to do. Improvise! ... I'd been planning an almond crumble, but I reached for spelt flour instead.

The happy accident

The spelt gave the crumble a lovely nutty quality ... almost like a good digestive biscuit ... which turned out to be rather wonderful with the cool, creamy mascarpone and cream cheese filling and the tartness of the apples.

In fact, I'm going to say something I probably shouldn't: I think I prefer it to the almond version I originally had in my head. Sometimes the recipe you didn't intend to make turns out to be the one worth keeping ... And that's how the Mascarpone Spelt Apple Crumble Tart came into existence.

Mascarpone Spelt Apple Crumble Tart - The Recipe

For the Crumble

2½ cups spelt flour (300g)

¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

140g cold butter, diced (slightly increased from the original recipe)

2–3 tablespoons cold water

For the Filling

225g mascarpone, room temperature

225g cream cheese, room temperature

150g granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled if preferred and thinly sliced

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional). Grease and line a 23cm springform tin.

In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture just begins to clump when squeezed in your hand.

Set aside roughly two-thirds of the crumble mixture for the base and reserve the remaining third for the topping.

Press the larger portion of crumble firmly into the base and slightly up the sides of the tin.

Beat together the mascarpone, cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and apple cider vinegar.

Pour the filling over the base and smooth the surface.

Arrange the sliced apples evenly over the filling.

Scatter the remaining crumble over the apples.

Bake for 50–60 minutes until the crumble is golden and the centre has a slight wobble.

Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

Dust generously with icing sugar before serving.

What Makes This Tart Special

This tart stands out because of its balance of flavours and textures. The cool, creamy mascarpone filling contrasts with the warm, spiced apples and the crunchy, nutty crumble topping. The use of spelt flour adds a wholesome twist that makes it feel both comforting and a little different from your usual apple crumble.

It’s a dessert that invites you to slow down and enjoy each bite, perfect for cosy afternoons or special occasions.

Final Thoughts

This Mascarpone Spelt Apple Crumble Tart is proof that kitchen mishaps can lead to delicious discoveries. What started as a forgotten ingredient turned into a recipe that combines nutty, creamy, and fruity flavours in a way that feels fresh and satisfying.

Next time you face a missing ingredient or a sudden change in plans, consider experimenting with what you have on hand. You might just create your own happy accident.

Jo's Kitchen Notes

Don't panic if your plan changes.

This tart exists because mine did.

And that's probably one of my favourite things about cooking: sometimes you follow the plan, and sometimes the kitchen decides it has a better idea.

Continue Cooking With Me

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