Fourth of July dessert !

The 4th of July is the gateway to a summer filled with week-end BBQs and family gatherings. Colors are bright, smiles are broad, mouths are full of delicious BBQ fares. Here my salute to the 4th of July: a red and blue strawberry/blueberry tart.

Ingredients:

• tart crust (see previous blog)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoona marsala wine
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 5 lady fingers biscuits
• 1 quart of strawberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• fruit jam/jelly and honey

Directions (1 hr prep time, 30 min bake time):

1. Preheat the oven to 370F.
2. Prepare the crust as described in previous post and place it in the pie pan. You will cook it with the cream. (Note: I added a vanilla flavor to the crust)
3. Blend the eggs and the sugar to a frothy mixture.
4. Mix in the flour, followed by the marsala, the almond flour, and the half and half. In the end you should get a dense cream.
5. Break the lady fingers in small pieces and place them on the crust. Add the cream and let the biscuits soak for 5 minutes. They will absorb the cream and soften during baking.
6. Bake at 370F for 30 minutes. Cool the tart down to room temperature.
7. Brush a light coat of fruit jam/jelly on top (here I used cherry jam), it will keep the fresh fruits in place. (note: I use a small paint brush dedicated to the kitchen)
8. Place the strawberries cut in halves. This is your chance to be artistic!
9. Dilute some honey with a few drops of water and brush the strawberries with the sweet liquid. It will add sweetness and shine to the fruits, always appealing :)
10. Sprinkle blueberries on top.

Voila ! A magnificent dessert that will draw praise and encores. Give it a try !