Strawberry and Cream Cheese Tart

I LOVE dessert. I could probably eat dessert three times a day and still be ready for more if I didn't have the slightest bit of self control. The richer the dessert the more I love it! I also appreciate that dessert always looks beautiful. I totally agree with the saying that we eat with our eyes. I defiantly do! I thought it only fitting that my first recipe would be a dessert. Cream cheese pie. My mom made cream cheese pie for us every valentines day when I was younger and it has always been one of my favorite desserts. I decided to change a few things this time. Instead of the traditional gram cracker crust, I made a phyllo dough crust and I cooked it in a tart pan instead of a pie pan. I also put strawberries on top instead of cherries. I was pretty happy with the results. I think the phyllo crust added a nice crunch, but I still love the gram cracker crust as well!

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Tart

Phyllo crust:
20 phyllo sheets
1/4 C. melted butter
3 T. granulated sugar

Spread a thin layer of melted butter on the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 inch tart pan with a pastry brush. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and press the sides. Spread another thin layer of butter on top of the phyllo sheet and then sprinkle with sugar. Repeat this step with the rest of the phyllo sheets alternating the direction the sheets are laid so that the edges are even. Trim the excess phyllo dough with a sharp knife and pierce the dough with a fork (I forgot to do that and it puffed up quite a bit). Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crispy. Set aside and let cool.

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 t. vanilla

Combine ingredients until smooth and pour into cooled crust. Chill the tart for at least an hour. Top with sliced strawberries ( I let my strawberries macerate in a few table spoons of sugar for about 15 minutes before I put them on top of my tart).