Chocolate + Strawberries = Summer Dessert Tart

This dessert features fresh strawberries, chocolate, cream cheese, and drizzles of fudge. How can it not be good??! It is the perfect summer dessert - it looks patriotic, it tastes yummy, and it is cool and refreshing. It also is pretty!

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TART     

CRUST:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup finely chopped almonds toasted

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

½ cup baking cocoa

¼ cup packed brown sugar

FILLING:

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups halved fresh strawberries

3 Tbsp. hot fudge ice cream topping

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is set. Cool on a wire rack.

2.    In another small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over bottom of the prepared crust. Arrange strawberry halves, cut side down, over filling. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. 

3.    Just before serving, drizzle fudge topping over tart. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Yield: 12 servings

Mother's Day - Mom's recipe

Happy Mother's Day to all! A day to recognize and honor mothers of the past, present, and future. We had a wonderful lunch with my daughter and my two granddaughters (and my husband and son-in-law). Steaks, grilled veggies, fresh rolls, corn-on-the-cob, Jello salad, ice cream and brownies. What?? Jello salad? Wasn't that a thing in the 1960's? Jello is so 'old school' that my spell check doesn't even recognize it! But, Yes, in my recipe notebook there are 3 cards for jello salads in my mom's handwriting. So this Mother's Day I prepared one of them in her honor. Good memories. The next generation (who swear they don't like jello) even thought it was good, "almost like dessert". 

WHIPPED CREAM CARROT SALAD           

Mom's salad in one of her bowls. 

1 package (3oz) orange Jello (prepare as usual)

While warm add: 

3 oz cream cheese

1 cup mini marshmallows

Stir until dissolved.

Cool. When Jello starts to set add:

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup grated carrots

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup whipped topping (original recipe says whipped cream or Dream Whip, I updated it for Cool Whip)

½ cup mayonnaise

Stir to blend and cool to completely set. 

Ice cream is always the best end of a good meal. Especially
when it is Call Hall ice cream!