Summer's last hurrah (Amazing Grace optional)



Did you have a dad/grandpa/uncle who would – come dessert time – gesture excitedly out the window at the deer/rabbit/bird in the backyard? He'd point, you'd look and half your dessert would disappear in the meantime. W. tried this a lot when I was a kid, but I think it worked more often on my mom than me. I tend to keep my enemies close and my desserts even closer. Now if he had tried it with the broccoli, it would have been a different story...

The point being, I don't fall for that trick. Or I thought I didn't. But somehow, while my nose was buried in this here internet, summer packed up its blue sky, switched the sun to energy-saver mode and skipped hemispheres. All it left me was a pile of blueberries and peaches which isn't so bad, all things considered.

Even better when they're laid to rest in a sunflower pattern on a bed of graham cracker crumbs and lime cream cheese linens. Oh summer, why'd you have to go?



Fresh Fruit Tart with Lime Cream Cheese Filling

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces or 1 package cream cheese (regular or light)
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 1/2-4 cups fresh fruit

Glaze:
4 tablespoons peach or apricot jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

To prepare the crust, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the butter and mix well with a fork. Using your fingers and/or the back of a spoon, press the mixture evenly and firmly into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. (Failing that, use a springform pan or pie plate of the same size.) Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10-20 minutes until firm before releasing the crust from the pan onto a serving platter. (Skip this step if you don't have a tart pan.) Let the crust cool completely before moving on to the next step.

To prepare the filling, whisk together the brown sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sour cream mixture, lime juice and lime zest and beat just until combined. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly on the bottom of the crust.

In a small saucepan, heat the peach jam over low-medium heat until runny. In the meantime, wash and slice (if necessary) your fresh fruit. Arrange the fruit on top of the cream cheese filling. Brush the tops with heated jam. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Inspired by the Blueberry Lemon Cream Tarts at Epicurious.com.

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