Cream Cheese Swirl Tart (Pie) With Chocolate Crust
Another fun Sunday baking project for Sanjeev and I. This one was a good one.
One of the big things I've been struggling with during quarantine (and in general), especially with not working, is finding cheap ways to experiment with baking. The recipes I've gravitated towards have been banana bread, cookies, muffins, and brownies (yes, the boxed kind) that require few ingredients, most of which I have already. But I was getting bored and wanted something refreshing and a little unique, but a recipe that I could find most of what I needed already in my fridge or pantry.
This tart was perfect (I used a pie pan). I'm a sucker for anything with cream cheese, and I knew the addition of the strawberry preserves would make for a great balance of creaminess and fruitiness. And it helped that I only needed to buy a few ingredients: 1 block of cream cheese, 1 pint of heavy cream and almond extract; something I normally would have skipped (but Sanjeev insisted on buying it - and I don't regret it at all).
I think what made baking this so satisfying, other than that it tasted amazing, was that I didn't need to stress over buying a ton of ingredients. I'm not sure how many other people share the same thoughts, but something that often stops me from experimenting with food is the guilt that comes with buying extra ingredients, that I don't really need.
Baking is a "want" not a "need" (something my mother would probably say). So when it comes to asking Sanjeev, hey can we buy X,Y, and Z so I can try out this cool recipe, he of course is always supportive, but I can't help but feeling a little guilty.
Quarantine has changed that. There's not been much to look forward to, other than weekly new episodes of TV shows, Friday movie nights, and entertaining our cat. So maybe it's okay to buy that extra one or two ingredients, to have that extra special Sunday that Sanjeev and I can bake together, and for me to practice a little more. This tart met those goals. I'd normally stress over making the jam swirl look perfect, or get the edges of the pie crust absolutely right. The slightly messy look of it makes it look and feel homemade, another reminder that when it comes to food, there's something truly special that you just can't take away from it, especially for me. So maybe that makes it okay in times like this to splurge a little, even if it is a "want".
Maybe I'll try some almond croissants next to use up the almond extract?