Fresh Fruit Tart

Sweet Tart Crust:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Line the bottom of a 9-10 inch tart pan or torte pan with parchment paper. . Evenly pat the chilled pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Lightly prick bottom of pastry crust with the tines of a fork (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Place tart pan on a larger baking pan and bake crust for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until dry and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before filling. Can be covered and stored for a few days or frozen.

*you can brush the cooled tart with apricot jelly and let it dry, which will seal the crust and prevent it from getting soggy. Its a useful thing to do if you know the tart will not be eaten right away. I don't always do this, and it doesn't get really soggy if you eat the tart the same day you make it.

Cream Filling:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 TBS sour cream
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract

In an electric stand mixer, beat cream cheese & powdered sugar until smooth, add remaining ingredients and whip on highest setting for 3-5 min. Spread evenly over crust.

Top tart with sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, kiwi, and/or any other favorite fruits.

**if you don't like the cream cheese filling, you can use a
traditional pastry cream, but it requires a little more work and must be cooked & cooled before you can use it.