This strawberry tart with a graham cracker crust has it all going on-it’s fresh, fruity, light and sweet. Make it in the morning in less than an hour, chill, and serve for dinner.
By Patty Price
I could make a Strawberry Almond Cream Tart every week during strawberry season-that’s how much I like this recipe from Cooking Light’s Way to Bake cook book. This strawberry tart with a graham cracker crust has it all going on-it’s fresh, fruity, light and sweet. Now is the time to make a dessert with strawberries or just plain eat strawberries while they are ripe, plentiful and lower priced in the markets. 
Strawberry Almond Cream Tart
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
A strawberry tart with graham cracker crust has it going on-it’s fresh, fruity, light and sweet. Make it in less than an hour, chill, and serve for dinner. Adapted from Cooking Light ‘Way to Bake’.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 package (9 sheets) honey-flavored graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 4 teaspoons water
- baking spray
Filling
- 2/3 cup or 5 ounces 1/3 less-fat cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Topping
- 6 cups medium strawberries, hulled and divided (2 cups for topping/glaze and 4 cups left whole for topping)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Spray bottom of a 9″ metal removable bottom tart pan
Prepare the crust
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until crumbly.
- Add the sugar, melted butter and water, pulse until combined and moist.
- Place the graham cracker in the prepared 9″ tart pan, pressing into bottom and sides (about 3/4 of the way up) of pan.
- Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool completely on a metal rack.
Prepare the filling
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar and extracts in a medium bowl, spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled graham cracker crust.
Prepare the topping
- Place 2 cups of the strawberries in the food processor and process until smooth, scraping down once or twice.
- Combine the strawberry purée, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and over a medium heat bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove topping/glaze mixture from heat, cool to room temperature.
- Combine remaining 4 cups of strawberries, lemon juice and a few spoonfuls of glaze/topping in a medium bowl.
- Arrange the 4 cups of whole strawberries in a circular pattern on top of the cream cheese filling.
- Spoon the topping/glaze around the berries, filling in the edges.
- Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the edges.
- Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
- Slice and serve.
- Category: Dessert
