This glorious cheese tart recipe is inspired by the Tarte au Fromage blanc a la Alsacienne. It uses cream cheese instead of Fromage Blanc which is difficult to find in the US. It is nevertheless delicious on its own and a stunning dessert when crowned with glazed strawberries.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1-3 Tbsp ice water
Filling:
- 1 lb cream cheese
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
Strawberry Topping and Glaze:
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 cup strawberry jelly
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 lbs whole fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, or more if needed
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 170 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1-3 Tbsp ice water
Filling:
- 450 g cream cheese
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 240 ml heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
Strawberry Topping and Glaze:
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 60 ml cold water
- 330 g strawberry jelly
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 675 g whole fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, or more if needed
Preparation:
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in the food processor. Add butter and process until it resembles a coarse meal. With the machine running add the egg yolk and water. Process for about 1-2 minutes or until the dough comes together, adding more ice water if necessary by the spoon. Shape pastry in a disk form and wrap it in cling plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the filling. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a mixer until creamy. Add one egg at a time while continuing beating. Add heavy cream, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice. Beat until well mixed. Set aside.
Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator and press it into the tart pan pushing up the sides. Prick bottom several times with a fork. Trim edges from any pastry hanging over. Set tart pan on a baking sheet. Pour batter into the prepared pan almost to the edges. Do not overfill. Bake it for about 45 minutes or until nicely golden with brown specs on the top. Open the oven door and let the tart cool in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove tart from the pan. I usually let it ripen for at least 24 hours but that’s the perfectionist in me.
Finally, prepare the strawberry topping and glaze. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch with water and stir until smooth. Add the strawberry jelly and cook it over medium heat stirring constantly until the jelly is melted and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let it cool at room temperature.
Shortly before serving, arrange sliced strawberries in concentric circles over the cheesecake. Drizzle glaze over the strawberries and serve cold.
A light, crisp and tasty apple tart with a rich and creamy custard. Can be served on its own but also makes for a delicious dessert.
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