Thursday, February 07, 2013

Strawberry and Lemon Tart

Strawberry and Lemon tart by Teckelcar
Strawberry and Lemon tart, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.
Or... Why yes, this is turning into a food blog.

Tonight was the last night of shiva and Meryl and I decided to pay a call. This of course means I need to make something for the family. Casting about the fridge I noted I had strawberries that needed to be used, a bunch of cream cheese I got on sale, and a jar of lemon curd that was begging to be used. Throw in the box of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and I had all the ingredients to make a Strawberry Jewel Tart.

I found the recipe years ago in Parents magazine, July 1998 to be exact. A quick online search drew a big goose egg, so I will detail the recipe here. It is dead easy to make and has a beautiful presentation.

Strawberry Jewel Tart

Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham-cracker crumbs
2 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs melted butter

Heat the oven to 350 F. Stir together the crumbs and sugar; mix in butter until combined. Press mixture onto the sides and bottom of a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Filling:
1 jar (10 to 11 oz. ) lemon curd
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint strawberries, quarter lengthwise*
2 Tbs currant jelly, warmed in the microwave**

In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium, beat lemon curd and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into crust and smooth top. Arrange strawberries in a pattern of concentric circles (alternating cut-side-up and cut-side-down)***. Brush strawberries with jelly. Chill tart at least 2 hours before serving.

*I just trimmed off the strawberries' tops and cut them in half lengthwise. 

**I didn't bother with the jelly

***I kept them cut-side-down, I think the tart looks better that way.

It was absolutely delicious. The flavors of the lemon  curd, strawberries, and cream cheese are wonderful together. I love easy desserts that are simple to make and full of flavor.


1 comment:

ZZ said...

Major yum.