#14 Graham Cracker Crumb Tarts

Two weeks ago I had my first Oregon strawberry of the season!  If you haven’t already heard about my love for Oregon strawberries, then I really haven’t done a very good job of gushing over how amazing they are.  So good that they are worth driving over the pass to purchase in bulk.  Two weeks ago while we were in Salem for Memorial Day weekend, Shauna and I casually walked into the local Roth’s to pick up a few ingredients for dinner…and there they were.  Greeting us with their bright red glow in their aqua colored berry cartons.  It was fantastic.  The first picking of the season, and there was no way Shauna was passing them up!  We later enjoyed them cut up on some vanilla ice cream, and I’m convinced life could not have been much better at that moment.

While the strawberries on these cute little tarts aren’t Oregon berries, I will absolutely be making these once I get back over to Salem to get some for myself!  This was one of the easiest recipes I have ever made.  It’s an excellent alternative to the more time consuming, temperamental baking of a cheesecake, that tastes seriously similar.  Blueberries will be ready in Silverton next month, and I can’t wait to try these tarts with that delightful berry accompanying them!  For those of you outside of Oregon, enjoy this wonderfully easy, no baking required dessert!  For those of us here in Oregon…you can still make it while you dream of what summer will be like when it finally decides to show its face.  Don’t be scared summer…come on out!

Graham Cracker Crumb Tarts (recipe courtesy of Joy of Baking)

Makes: Eight 4-inch tarts or one 9-inch tart

5-6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbsp white sugar

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 oz. white chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp vanilla

Garnish: Any combination of berries or fruit

• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar.  Evenly divide the mixture and press onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan(s) with removable bottoms.  If using the 4-inch tart pans, each tart will use 2-3 Tbsp of the graham cracker crumb mixture.  Place the tart shells in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.
• Melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (I melted mine in the microwave).  Remove from the heat and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).  Add the melted white chocolate and then the sour cream and vanilla, beating until you have a creamy smooth mixture.  Taste and add a little sugar if desired.  Evenly divide the cream among the tart shells, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.  Cover and refrigerate until firm.
• To serve, top with fresh berries or cut up fruit.

What I love about these summery tarts: I never had to turn my oven on.

What I hate about these summery tarts: Are you kidding me?  They take about 10 minutes to make?  It’s impossible to hate anything about a dessert that takes that short amount of time.

#6 Key Lime Pie

There is a certain beauty about these little limes despite the thin, yellowed, blemished skin.  They were incredibly aromatic before I even started juicing them, causing me to question myself…why have I never made this before?

The answer most likely lies in the fact that the only key lime pie I have ever consumed was from The Village Inn in Sterling.  A key lime pie there is translucent green and tastes more like lime kool-aid rather than the exquisite dessert that came out of my oven today.  This pie is so good you’ll want it on your death bed.  Trust me.  Come that day, if I’m anywhere near, I’ll feed it to you myself.

Key Lime Pie originates in the Florida Keys where these pretty little fruits are from.

It starts with a graham cracker crust, and then is filled with a filling consisting of egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice and lime zest.  The acidic key lime juice and the sweetened condensed milk form a reaction that causes the filling to thicken on its own without any baking.  I found that so interesting!  However, to be safe, this pie is baked for a short time because of the raw egg yolks.  It’s one of the easier desserts I’ve done in a long time, and it will forever have a place in my trusted recipe box!

Key Lime Pie (recipe courtesy of Joy of Baking)

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbsp granulated white sugar

5-6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup key lime juice (you can use regular limes if you want)

2 tsp grated lime zest

Topping:

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in the center of the oven.  Butter or lightly spray a 9-inch pie or tart pan.
• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned.  Remove from oven and place on wire rack to let cool while you make the filling.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes).  Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and the lime zest.

• Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 10-15 minutes until set.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  Once it has completely cooled, place in the refrigerator overnight or at least several hours.
• Once the filling has chilled, beat the heavy whipping cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form.  Either mound this onto the top of your pie, or pipe it decoratively.

What I love about this pie: It’s incredibly easy, but looks like you spent a ton of time on it.

What I hate about this pie:  I could quite easily consume the entire thing within one day.