Strawberry Tart

There is nothing better than large ripe strawberries.  In May and July in Colorado you can pick your own strawberries.  It is a lot of fun waking up early and heading out of town to pick your own fresh strawberries with your kids.  No need to have breakfast because you can eat them right off the plant while you are picking them. I found this recipe from "The Baking Book" and changed it so it was healthier and tastier.

Strawberry Tart:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Makes: 8 large slices

Pastry Dough:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1 Tablespoon organic cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Tart Filling:
12 oz of cream cheese
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon Cointreau (orange liqueur)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon sour cream
3 cups strawberries sliced

Tart Glaze:
1/4 cup of apricot jam
1 tablespoon lemon juice or orange juice

Mix the pastry flour, organic sugar and salt together in a bowl.  Then add the small pieces of cold butter into the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry knife until you have a pea size crumbs. Add the orange juice and lemon juice until the pastry dough comes together.  The dough should not be dry but come together in a ball.  Place the dough in a bowl that is covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Spray a 9 inch tart pan with cooking spray. Remove the dough from the bowl and place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper (the parchment paper should be larger then you tart pan).  Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until the dough is larger then the tart pan.  Remove the parchment paper carefully then place the dough in the tart pan.  If there is any extra dough just add it back to the edge of the tart with your fingers. Prick the bottom of the tart dough with a fork and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool.

When the dough is chilled remove from the freezer and add a round piece of parchment paper to the bottom of your tart.  Then add pastry weights or 2 cups dry beans to the bottom of the parchment paper.  Bake the tart dough at 400 for 10 minutes.  Then remove the pastry weights or dried beans from the dough.  Bake another 12 minutes or until the dough is slightly browned.  Allow the tart to cool while you make the filling.

Turn down the oven to 350 degrees.

Tart Filling:  Whip the cream cheese and sugar for 4 minutes until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue whipping.  Add the cointreau, lemon rind and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Continue to beat the mixture for 2 more minutes.  Then add the filling to the tart dough.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the filling as set.  Allow tart to cool. While the tart is cooking, slice the strawberries. When the tart has cooled add the sliced strawberries on top of the tart.

Tart glaze: place the apricot jam and lemon juice in a small microwavable bowl.  Microwave the jam and lemon juice until it becomes a liquid about 90 seconds.  Dip a pastry brush into the liquid jam and gentling brush the jam onto the slices of strawberry.  Chill the strawberry tart for one hour before serving.