Today’s recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light, with a few small changes.

As strawberries come back into season, this recipe will get better as you make it later in the spring and summer. Mostly though, I loved how thin the layer of cream was on the tart shell, not too overpowering yet still rich enough to make it seem like you were eating more.

Be careful with the glaze and measure out your cornstarch very carefully. Cornstarch is way more powerful than flour as a thickening agent. My “glaze” was more like jam!

As far as how good it tastes, let’s just say this: I let Ryan take the leftovers to small group and he came back with a very empty tart pan. Try it out!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 36  honey graham crackers (about 9 sheets)
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 2  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 4  teaspoons  water
• Cooking spray

Filling:

• 2/3  cup  neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), room temp
• 1/4  cup  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/4  teaspoon  almond extract

Topping:

• 6  cups  small fresh strawberries, divided
• 2/3  cup  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  cornstarch
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and water; pulse just until moist. Place mixture in a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.
4. To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in food processor; process until pureed. Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat, and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
5. Combine 4 cups strawberries and juice; toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Sprinkle nuts around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.