Bake a cheerful and delicious Berry Fruit Tart in celebration of the Fourth of July.
Holidays are usually more meaningful when there's something you can do to add to the celebration. For young adults, the Fourth of July may mean "fun in the sun" at the beach. Mothers may decide to take their little ones to an old-fashioned Fourth of July parade. And cooks may try to add some red, white and blue elements to a special lunch or dinner.
Of course, you can always make the traditional flag cake. You've seen these before on magazine covers--a sheet cake covered with fluffy white frosting and decorated with fresh berries to simulate the American flag. But, if you're looking for something just a little bit simpler and just as delicious, why not try making a Berry Fruit Tart for a Fourth of July celebration? The tart is similar to a Key Lime Pie, but slightly different in that fresh berries are used as the topping for this dessert. You can use whatever fresh, ripe delicious berries you can find at the farmer's markets or the grocery stores. But, for Fourth of July, blueberries, red raspberries and strawberries are the fruits of choice.
Berry Fruit Tart Recipe
For the Graham Cracker Crust
1 package chocolate-flavored graham crackers
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for buttering pan
For the Filling
8 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the Fruit Topping
1 pint of mixed fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries for garnishing and serving
For the graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan with butter. Break up the graham crackers; place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until the mixture forms crumbs. (Alternatively, you can place the graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers.) Add the melted butter and pulse or stir until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan, forming a border around the edge. Bake the crust until it is set and golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack to cool slightly.
For the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until thick, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure all of the ingredients are being incorporated. Turn the mixer onto low and add the vanilla and lemon juice, beating just until combined. Pour the filling mixture into the prepared crust. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is set. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.
For the topping: Once the tart has chilled, arrange the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in a decorative pattern as desired on top of the fruit tart. Cut the tart into wedges and serve each wedge with additional berries.
The copyright of the article Celebrate the Fourth of July in Recipes is owned by Michael Vyskocil. Permission to republish Celebrate the Fourth of July in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
