cream cheese fruit tart.

I always feel a little bad about incorporating fruit into batters and baking them. I would so much rather find ways to include seasonal summer fruit into desserts raw, in their natural form.

This tart was actually eaten on the fourth of July ... aren't I a little late. But it can be delicious even during less patriotic times; it's definitely an everyday, perfect make-ahead tart.

The crust is sort of like a shortbread/sugar cookie crust. It's the only part of this dessert that's baked.

The bottom of the crust is spread with a (very) little chocolate, before the filling is added. This ensures that the crust doesn't get soggy, if this tart somehow lasts more than a day or two. I figured melting chocolate and transferring to the crust takes too many unnecessary bowls to clean, so I just threw a few mini chocolate chips onto the crust right as I removed it from the oven. They melted immediately, and I spread them until there was a super thin even layer of chocolate. You can't taste the chocolate either, as I don't think it would go well with the cream cheese-ricotta filling.

Ooh super close-up.

The filling has cream cheese, but also ricotta, to add some lightness. Neither the filling nor the arrangement of fruit is possible to mess up. And just imagine the possibilities for the fruit! You could do a sports team - themed one or holiday themes, with different colored fruit or candies.

Enjoy! It's an easy, but fancy looking dessert.

Cream Cheese Fruit Tart
adapted from here.

• 2 cups flour 
• 4 Tablespoons sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 11 Tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 cup water
• dried beans or pie weights (beans will be safe to use as pie weights in the oven and then be used again for consumption later, as normal)

• 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
• 6 oz. cream cheese, room temp 
• 2 oz. ricotta (or use cream cheese) 
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar 
• 1/2 tspn vanilla (or 2 Tablespoons liqueur of choice, such as Bailey's or Triple Sec) 
• fresh fruit (I used about 3/4 cup blueberries and 3 strawberries cut into fourths)

1. Make crust: Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Rub in butter with fingers (or use food processor) until mixture resembles coarse wet sand. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough mostly comes together. 
2. Press dough into lightly greased 8", 9", or 10" pie pan, forming an even crust. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Place foil atop the crust, and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Then, bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Bake another 15 - 25 minutes, until it looks baked through and slightly golden.
3. Scatter the chocolate chips onto the crust, and let totally melt. Spread chocolate around bottom of crust. Cool thoroughly. 
4. Make filling: Beat cream cheese and ricotta together. Beat in sugar and vanilla (liqueur, if using). Transfer to cooled crust. 
5. Arrange fruit as desired atop filling. Chill entire tart in fridge thoroughly before serving.