This morning I asked Reid to help me bake a cake. She said that she wanted to bake a blueberry cake. Unfortunately for her, (a) - I don’t have a recipe for blueberry cake and (b) - I have lots of rhubarb from the garden to use. Still, Reid is a persuasive little kid and so we baked a [1] Cookie-Crust Fruit Tart with her that I found in the [2] Today’s Parent (July 2006). Simple and scrumptious, I decided that I wanted it captured here because it’s too good not to share. Here’s what I did, as opposed to strictly what the recipe said:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 t vanilla (measured and added by Reid, so not a full teaspoon, actually)
• 1 c white flour
• 1/2 c cream cheese
• 2 T white sugar
• up to 3 c fruit (Any kind will do, if berries, rince and dry first. I’ve been scattering blueberries on as we’re eating it)
• icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and egg yolk. Add vanilla. Add the flour and beat just until blended.

Pat the dough into two small balls and place onto the parchment lined pan. With your hands, pat dough out to form a circle and prick all over with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 12-14 minues, or until lightly browned and set in the middle. Let cool completely.

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Spread onto crust just before serving. Scatter fruit on top, sprinkle with icing sugar.

The cookie crust gets a bit soggy if you don’t eat it all once you’ve spread the cream cheese onto it. Since we’re not going to sit down and eat the 6-8 servings in one go, I have made the two rounds instead of one 10-inch circle. Similarly, I’m spreading the cream cheese on and adding fruit as I cut the slices.