Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Tart

1. Strawberry Topping (optional)

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of half a lemon

2. Crust

• 1 1/2 cups (155 grams) finely ground graham cracker crumbs (from about 10 crackers)
• 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted

3. Filling

• 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¾ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 ¼ cup cold heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup Oregon Growers Strawberry Rhubarb

1. Strawberry Topping (optional)

Combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until strawberries are nice and juicy.

2. Crust

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and stir until mixed. Add butter and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 9 to 10 minutes. Set on cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, you can even transfer it to the freezer to get it started on the chilling process.

3. Filling

While the crust cools, prepare the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or if using a hand mixer, in a large bowl), whip the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.

With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add the cream a little at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding more. Continue to whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is thick and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well. Add the vanilla and almond extract and whip until well combined.

4. Ready to Serve

In a small pot, heat the jam until warm; this should loosen the mixture considerably. Drizzle about 1/2 of the warm jam over the cream cheese filling. Gently fold it a few times to loosely combine the two. Scoop the filling into the cooled crust and spread into a relatively even layer. Drizzle the remaining jam over the surface of the filling. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a small spoon to swoop across the filling back and forth a few times to lightly swirl the jam into the filling, leaving some large streaks of jam. Finish with spooning the strawberries over top.

Serve immediately, or chill for up to 24 hours, loosely covered, before serving. To remove the tart from the pan, support the base with one hand and push upward to release it from the outer ring.