Fresh Berry Tart w/ Butter Pecan Cookie Crust

Happy Thursday! Our kitchen renovation project is progressing along nicely. The mess and disorganization of my main hub...my kitchen...is a little unsettling, but I know when it's all over with it will be well worth it. 

Today, I'm doing another guest post on Honeyville's blog -- it is one of my new dessert recipes that I created with the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations in mind. I have to tell you...it is one of my favorite dessert recipes that I've created so far. There are a couple of others that rank up there close...but this one is REALLY...REALLY good! I've been enjoying this one for several days now and should have it finished up in time to make another one for July 4th -- not that I'm counting down the days or anything. I got this one made before losing the water in my kitchen. It's decorated in festive red, white and blue, but you can design yours however you'd like and use whatever fruits that are your favorite. I used sliced strawberries and fresh blueberries on mine. It is AMAZING...and I think you are going to love this recipe. It is simple to make. The only baking involved is the 20 to 22 minutes it takes to bake the "butter pecan cookie crust." Trust me, it's worth turning on the oven in July for this one! It has an unbelievable no-bake cheesecake topping and then it's topped with fresh sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries and whipped cream. I sweetened the cookie crust base and the cheesecake topping with Swerve (my favorite non-sugar sweetener). I swear that you would never ever EVER know that this dessert has no added sugar. Trust me...you could fool all the skeptics with this one! This recipe contains two of my favorite products...Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour as well as Swerve sweetener. Check out the photos and recipe below. Enjoy!

Behind the Scenes...

Crust before baking

Crust after baking

Cheesecake topping has been spread on the cooled cookie crust

This is the pan I used...how appropriate that it's a "USA Pan" to make a Fourth of July dessert!  If you haven't tried these baking pans before...you will love them. I've been using their loaf pan for a while now and picked this jelly roll pan up and absolutely love it.  I liked it so much I went back and bought a 5-piece set, too. They sell these on Amazon (below)...but if you have a Bed Bath & Beyond nearby, you can get them at a great price and even better if you use their 20% coupon that comes out all the time!

Fresh Berry Tart w/ Butter Pecan Cookie Crust 

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Crust:

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (preferably aluminum free)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener, or preferred granular sweetener

1/4 cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)

3 ounces (brick style) cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pecan meal

For the Cheesecake Topping:

16 ounces brick-style cream cheese (2 8-ounce bricks), slightly softened

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered Swerve Confectioners Style Sweetener (or preferred confectioners style sweetener

Fruit Topping:

Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

Whipped cream for serving, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 10"x15"x1" jelly roll pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sweetener. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add softened butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix dry and wet ingredients together until blended. Stir in pecan meal.

Using a rubber spatula spread and press dough evenly in pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, until creamy and smooth; stir in cream, vanilla and sweetener.  Beat with hand mixer for about 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth, light and fluffy. Spread topping over top of crust until smooth. Refrigerate for several hours until chilled. Arrange berries on top. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Note: If you are unable to find pecan meal locally, it can be ordered online or you can easily make your own by using the pulse setting of your food processor outfitted with a steel blade. Nut meal is more coarsely textured than flour and should resemble the consistency of cornmeal. The pecan meal provides more texture to the cookie crust.