Recipe: Strawberry-Orange Shortcake Tart

The strawberry dessert on the cover of the the April Southern Living had been staring me down for three weeks before I gave in and made it for a friend's birthday potluck. The hint of sweetness in the thick, sturdy shortcake tart is the perfect complement to (real!) whipped cream and strawberries. And that hint of orange you might see on the berries is orange marmalade, making for a refreshing fruit combo. The other secret ingredient was cornmeal in the tart that gave it more texture.

Unlike the fancy, shmancy cover photo, I added some practicality in my shot. I scattered the strawberries all over the whipped cream so that you could have a more even shortcake-cream-berry mix in each bite. I also didn't take the tart out of the pan so that it would transport easier. My black countertop does take away from the spring-like flair of the dessert, dang. Maybe next time I'll play with greenery.

I think this babe will have to make at least one other appearance this summer. It seems like a perfect dessert for lake weekends.

Strawberry-Orange Tart

1 3/4  cups  all-purpose flour

1/4  cup  plain yellow cornmeal

2  tablespoons  sugar

3/4  teaspoon  baking powder

1/2  teaspoon  salt

6  tablespoons  cold butter, cut into pieces

1  large egg, lightly beaten

2/3  cup  buttermilk

1  tablespoon  orange marmalade

1  (16-oz.) container fresh strawberries, cut in half

1/2  cup  orange marmalade

2  cups  heavy cream

2  tablespoons  sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Place first 6 ingredients (in order of ingredient list) in a food processor. Process 20 seconds or until mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Whisk together egg and buttermilk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened and a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 to 4 times. Press dough on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan.

3. Bake at 425° for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden and firm to touch.

4. Microwave 1 Tbsp. marmalade at HIGH 10 seconds; brush over crust. Cool 45 minutes.

5. Stir together strawberries and 1/2 cup marmalade.

6. Beat heavy cream with 2 Tbsp. sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon onto cornmeal crust; top with strawberry mixture. Garnish, if desired.