The Basic Tart Dough can be made well in advance and frozen, so you're always ready to whip one of these tarts up. Outside the brief glory of blackberry season, you can use store-bought berries, simmered with some sugar and strained through a fine-mesh sieve to make a coulis for drizzling over the mascarpone filling (instead of topping with lackluster blackberries). Punch the natural brightness of the blackberries up with the juice from one medium lemon.
Roll out the dough and fit into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, or smaller individual tartlet pans. Trim any excess dough from around the edges. Prick the bottom of the shell all over with the tines of a fork. Line the tart shell(s) with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill with dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool slightly.
For Mascarpone Filling: In a large bowl, combine mascarpone, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch. Whisk together until smooth and creamy. Spoon mascarpone mixture into the baked tart shell and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
To Assemble: Allow the tart to cool. Decorate with blackberries. Refrigerate until ready to
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