Summer Fresh Strawberry Tart

Summer Fresh Strawberry Tart

This delicious tart takes advantage of summer's glorious fresh strawberry crop. As beautiful as it is delicious, it has all the components of a perfect tart: buttery graham crust, creamy middle layer, fresh berries, and a fabulous glaze to top it all off!

What you'll need for the crust:

• 50 honey graham crackers
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. melted vegan margarine (I recommend Earth Balance sticks)
• 5 1/2 tsp. water

What you'll need for the tart filling:

• 1 cup vegan cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 6 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

What you'll need for the glaze:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds

What to do:

First, let's prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the graham crackers in a food processor and grind them into fine crumbs. While pulsing the food processor, slowly add the sugar, margarine, and water. When thoroughly combined and moist, press the mixture firmly into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, coated with cooking spray. Be sure to cover the bottom and the sides of the pan. Bake in preheated  oven for 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Set crust aside to cool.

To make the tart's filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and extracts with a hand blender (you can do this by hand if you wish, but it takes a LOT of effort!). Spread the filling evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.

Arrange the fresh strawberries top-down over the creamy filling until the tart is completely covered. To make the glaze, puree the cup of strawberries in a food processor and pour into a small saucepan over medium heat. While the mixture is heating, add sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to low. Cook for one minute, still stirring, and then remove from heat. Once it has cooled, drizzle it over the tart. Enjoy!