A Luscious Strawberry Tart Glace

Strawberry Tart Glace is just one of the many ways you can use fresh strawberries. Glace, according to Food Lover's Tiptionary, by Sharon Tyler Herbst, is the French word for ice cream.

Ice cream wasn't what came to mind while sampling this dessert, though the cream-cheese layer is consistent with a high-quality ice cream. Strawberry Tart Glace is made with a flaky crust, a smooth-as-silk cream-cheese filling and a layer of sweet ruby-red strawberries. Fresh whipped cream studded with halved strawberries tops the glace, giving it a beautiful and dramatic appearance - definitely more tempting than a dish of ice cream.

Note: The original recipe calls for 1 quart of fresh strawberries. Using 2 quarts made this dessert better.

Strawberry Tart Glace

Ingredients:

pastry for 1 crust 9-inch pie
two 8-ounce packages cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
few drops red food coloring, optional

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On lightly floured surface, roll pastry to a 12-inch circle. Place in a 10-inch quiche dish or a 9-inch pie plate. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

While the pastry cools, mix the cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread over cool pastry shell.

Purée 1 cup of the strawberries, set aside. Slice the remaining strawberries (save a few whole strawberries for decorating) and place over cream-cheese mixture.

Combine remaining sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually add puréed strawberries and water.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is clear and thickened. Stir in food coloring if using.

Pour hot mixture over strawberries and cream-cheese layer.

Chill at least 8 hours or overnight.

Decorate with whipped cream and remaining strawberries.

- Great American Brand Name Cookbook, Collector's Edition