Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart

Ingredients

Crust:

36 low-fat honey graham crackers (9 sheets)

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. light butter, melted

4 tsp. water

Cooking spray

Filling:

2/3 cup (about 5 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

Topping:

6 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and divided

2/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. slice almonds, toasted

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 Tbsp. sugar, butter and 4 tsp. water; pulse just until moist. Place cracker mixture in a 9-inch round tart/pie pan lightly coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.

To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in a food processor, and process until smooth. Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir with whisk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Combine the remaining 4 cups of strawberries and juice; toss to coat. Arrange the berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Sprinkle nuts around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, May 2010