Harpie’s Goodie Basket A recipe repository for those tasty cookies, cakes, breads, bars and other desserts you’ve come to enjoy during the holidays—and beyond

Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

Click to expand

Fresh, juicy strawberries? Tangy lemon? Minimal baking yet maximum yum? This cool, creamy tart is a perfectly flavorful summer treat.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (10 ounces) bag lemon snaps
• Zest of 1 large lemon

Glaze:

• 6 large strawberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Filling:

• 4 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 containers (8 ounces each) mascarpone cheese
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 6–8 medium strawberries, thinly sliced lengthwise, for decoration

Preparation

1. For crust:
   • With butter or baking spray, lightly grease a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
   • In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool about 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a food processor, pulse together the lemon snaps and lemon zest until the mix is fine crumbs. Place in a mixing bowl and add the butter-sugar mixture, stirring until the crumbs are thoroughly coated.
   • Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared tart pan and press into the bottom and up the sides with your hands, making sure the crumbs are tightly pressed into the edges. The base should be even and compact; the sides should be slightly thicker than the bottom and level with the lip of the pan. Freeze the prepared crust until firm, about 15 minutes.
   • Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place the tart pan on a lipped baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until slightly golden and dry. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
2. For glaze: In a blender or food processor, blend the strawberries with the water until crushed but still chunky. In a medium saucepan whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Mix in the berries and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly for another 3 minutes, to thicken. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
3. For filling: In a food processor, crush the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Add the strawberry powder, sweetened condensed milk, mascarpone cheese and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and cream until thoroughly combined and slightly stiff.
4. With a basting brush, spread about 1/3 cup of strawberry glaze evenly on the bottom of the tart crust.
5. Use about 2/3 of the cheese filling to fill the crust nearly to the top (with about 1/4 inch remaining from the rim) in a smooth layer. Fill a piping bag or dessert decorating tool with the remaining filling and, using a wide star nozzle, pipe the outer edge and the center of the tart.
6. In the space between the piped filling, add another thin layer of glaze. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the glaze, and then lightly brush the strawberries with remaining glaze. Refrigerate at least an hour before separating the tart from the pan and serving.

Yields 8–12 servings