Vanilla Strawberry Tart
Vanilla Strawberry Tart. ‘Tis the season for springtime and warm weather baking. You seriously can’t go wrong with a fruity tart. A little sweet, a little tangy. Vibrant and delicious. Bonus?! It’s so so easy to make. Happy Saturday guys, what fun plans do you have for this beautiful weather?!
I am in absolute heaven today with this amazing weather. It honestly felt like summer this morning when I woke up. We’re celebrating the weekend at the beach, so when I woke up I had coffee on the deck and then went for a run on the beach. The fresh air put me in the most amazing mood and I was feeling extra energized. I was so happy to run on the beach for the first time since last summer.
This weekend we are entertaining for the first time at our new shore house, and we are super excited to be having our first guests. Today I am spending the rest of the day with my mom cooking and preparing for tonight’s dinner. We are having my uncle and aunt over for our first little dinner party.
Every good dinner party needs a good dessert. So, today I made this Vanilla Strawberry Tart. I wanted to make this today for two reasons. 1) because it’s super easy and there is a lot of cooking to do. This tart is a cream cheese based no bake dessert. So it’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s quick. And 2) it has spring/summer/warm weather/beachy written ALL over it. The strawberries not only make it taste super fresh and springy, but they make it a beautiful dessert to serve when entertaining.
Well anyway, now it’s time to get back to cooking the rest of tonight’s dinner and getting ready for our first big beach house entertainment night !! Cheers to an absolutely beautiful, feel-good Saturday.
Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons butter; melted
12 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons strawberry jam + more for topping
1 pound strawberries; halved
3 tablespoons grand mariner
1 bunch mint leaves; chopped
zest 1 lemon
Directions
Preheat the oven 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the graham crackers, cinnamon, and butter. Press the mixture into a tart dish. Transfer the the oven and bake until crust is toasted for about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar on high speed with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the heavy cream 1/4 cup at a time. Add the vanilla and whip on high speed until fluffy. Stir in the strawberry jam using a spatula. Spoon the cream filling over the graham cracker crust and chill for 2 hours.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, toss the strawberries, grand mariner, mint leaves, and lemon zest. Let the strawberries marinate for about 10 minutes.
Serve tart topped with additional strawberry jam, soaked strawberries, and fresh mint leaves.
