Fresh summer blueberries sit atop a luscious lemon cream cheese filling, making this a colorful and wonderful dessert. The pastry is made with ground almonds and brown sugar, and then partially baked before adding the cream cheese filling. The tart is chilled, and then covered with fresh blueberries that have been glazed with red currant jelly.

Lemon Blueberry Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

Brown Sugar Almond Pastry:

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted, and finely ground

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 tablespoons cold water

Lemon Cheese Filling:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Tip:  Use a citrus zester and citrus juicer for fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice.

Topping:

1½ to 2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup red currant jelly

Directions:
        Brown Sugar Almond Pastry:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground almonds, brown sugar, flour, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, process in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons cold water.  Stir until dough comes together.
   
   
2. Press pastry evenly into one 9 or 9½ inch tart pan with a removable bottom,  patting pastry evenly over bottom and up the sides, allowing pastry to extend 1/8 to ¼ inch above the top of the pan to allow for shrinkage. Lightly prick the bottom and sides with a fork at three-fourth or one inch intervals. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate tart shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
   
   
3. While tart shell is refrigerating, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, allowing 15 to 20 minutes for the oven to preheat before baking.
   
   Bake:
4. Place the pastry lined tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
   
   Lemon Cheese Filling:
5. While pastry is baking, prepare filling.
   
   
6. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon until smooth. Add sugar, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into the still hot pastry.
   
   Bake:
7. Return pan to oven and bake 20 minutes or until the center is almost set but still slightly wobbly. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
   
   Topping:
8. Rinse and dry blueberries, place in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
   
   
9. Place the jelly in a microwave-safe bowl, heat using 50% power and stir frequently just until the jelly is warmed and melted. Pour warm jelly over blueberries; stir until well mixed.
   
   
10. Spoon the blueberry topping evenly over the chilled tart. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
    
    
11. To serve, remove the sides of the tart pan, place the tart on a serving plate.
    
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