Lemon Cheese Strip Tart

Ingredients

• Pate Sucre (sweet tart dough), recipe follows

For the filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream or heavy cream

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Line a strip tart pan with tart dough and chill it for 2 hours, then prick the bottom well.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Meanwhile, with a paddle attachment cream the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then, mix in the sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Add the lemon rind and juice and mix, then add the vanilla and cream at the end, on low.

Pour into the dough lined tart pan and bake, to slightly set the top. Mix the walnuts and sugar together. After baking for 10 minutes, sprinkle the top with the nut mixture and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake until the filling is lightly browned and slightly puffed, another 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature and serve or serve chilled.

Pate Sucre:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 to 3 teaspoons heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour and sugar. Add the butter and mix until coarse and sandy.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, 2 teaspoons cream, and vanilla together. Add to the flour mixture and mix at low speed just until combined. If the dough is not coming together when you squeeze it in your hand, add the additional 1 teaspoon of cream.

Turn out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, "Butter Sugar Flour Eggs" by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin: Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999