
Strawberry Tart with Orange Cream
Ingredients:
- 1 round of Basic Tart Dough, rolled out into a 15-by-8-inch (38-by-20-cm) rectangle
- 8 oz. (265 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1⁄4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) sugar
- 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
- 2 tsp. Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
- 2 cups (8 oz./250 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise if small or sliced thinly lengthwise, as desired
- 1⁄2 cup ( 5 oz./155 g) apricot jam
Directions:
Carefully fold the dough in half over the rolling pin and carefully transfer to a rectangular tart pan that's 13 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches (35 by 11.5 cm). Fold the dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9 1/2-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides to extend it slightly above the rim to offset any shrinkage during baking.
Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.
Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or raw short-grain rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil. If the dough looks wet, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes, until the dough is pale gold, for a total baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Continue to bake until the shell is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Mix in the orange zest and Cointreau. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the strawberry halves, overlapping them, in concentric circles on top of the cream cheese, completely covering the surface.
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the apricot jam until it liquefies. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Using a small pastry brush, gently brush the strawberries with a thin coating of jam. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Makes one tart.