I can’t even believe we are half way through the year, but I know nobody wants to read about my busy life which is why I am going straight to the strawberries. Yes! June means fresh strawberries in Wisconsin. There is a very short window to get the most luscious, juicy strawberries directly from the farm.

Every year we take the kids to pick strawberries at a local farm. This June has been pretty unusual with summer camps, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to enjoy fresh berries so I ordered them and went to pick them up. I tried the strawberries from L’Arc-en-Ciel Prairie. A lovely small farm with almost 3000 strawberry plants, located in Sun Prairie, now closed for the season.

I’ve been making this amazing tart since I found the original recipe in a magazine in 2011 – and I know this, not because of my great memory, but because Facebook is a good reminder of what I’ve posted in the past.

In any case, this tart is definitely a must-try, especially when the berries are in season. I like to make this tart for entertaining because it is beautiful and people love it! The smooth filling from the homemade almond cream is just perfect, the crunchy coconut crust is absolutely delicious and the fresh strawberries are simply amazing. My daughter helped me make this recipe and made herself an individual tart because she did not want to share. That’s how you will feel when you try this Strawberry Almond Tart with Coconut Crust. So, let’s get working!

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1/4 cup organic sugar
2 large eggs whites
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Pinch of salt

For the almond cream:
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup organic sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons almond butter
1 cup almond flour
4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 lb. fresh strawberries (depending on the size)

Optional: other types of berries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries

Make the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. In a medium bowl combine the egg whites with the sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Add shredded coconut and mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart pan.

Make the cream:
Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds with a knife. In a small sauce pan combine almond milk, vanilla seeds + pod, and half of the sugar. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl combine the remaining sugar, egg yolks, and corn starch. Add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the bowl to temper the eggs, combine well and return to the pan with the rest of the milk. Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, discard the pod.

Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, almond butter, and cream mixture on a medium speed, add almond flour and beat to combine.
Spread the filling evenly into the tart crust. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely. Cooks’ note: When you get to this step, the tart can rest in the refrigerator overnight and finish in the morning or before it’s going to be served.
Unmold the tart, spread apricot preserves to cover the top, arrange the strawberries on top, be creative, enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart magazine.