Fresh Strawberry Tart

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place pastry dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to a round disk about 1/8-inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

3. Brush outside 2 inches around the edges of circle lightly with water. Tightly curl up a bit of the edge of dough to give it a rounder shape with a slightly thickened edge. If some edges are thicker than others, pinch off excess and add to thinner edges forming a circle with even edges. Roll each edge again just once to make the edges thick enough to crimp. Crimp crust with your floured fingers.

4. Use a fork to "dock" dough's bottom surface, covering it with tiny holes to prevent dough from bubbling up as it bakes.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.

6. Place cream cheese, crème fraîche, sugar, egg yolk, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Carefully pour a thin layer of mixture evenly into pastry shell (you may not need all the cheese mixture).

7. Transfer filled tart to the oven. Bake until cheese layer is set and crust is browned, about 20 minutes. Let tart cool completely to room temperature before adding berries.

8. Arrange berries cut side down, pointy end out starting with the larger berries around the edges. You can lean strawberries up a bit as your work your way toward the center. Cut some berry halves in half again to fit into any gaps on cheese layer.

9. Place apricot jam and 2 teaspoons water in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until thin enough to brush. Let cool slightly before brushing generously over all berries and crust. Transfer tart to a serving plate.

Chef's Notes:

For a homemade crust, use 1/2 of my recipe for Buttercrust Pastry Dough.

To crimp edges of tart shell, flour your hands. Hold your thumb and forefinger about 2 inches apart lightly against the outside edge; push dough from the inside against 2 fingers to create crimping.

You can substitute 8 ounces Fromage blanc for the cream cheese.