Strawberry Tart With Almond Butter Crust

• 1/2 cup whole shelled almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon water
• 1 1/2 sticks sweet butter, cut in 8 cubes
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cold water
• 1/2 pound mild white cream-style cheese or firm yogurt (an Italian cheese called Mony Bianco is superb)
• 2 tablespoons jam or preserves (apricot, strawberry, peach)
• 1/2 teaspoon brandy or Cognac (optional)

1. Put almonds and water in processor or blender and reduce to coarse powder.
2. Add butter and blend well, scraping down sides of bowl several times.
3. Press butter through sieve and chill until ready to use.
4. Put flour, salt, sugar and butter in bowl of food processor.
5. Turn machine on and off briefly 4 or 5 times.
6. Butter should be in pieces the size of lima beans.
7. Then process for about 10 seconds while adding water quickly.
8. Stop before ball forms.
9. If you do not have food processor, this can be done by hand.
10. Do not knead too much or crust will become tough.
11. Remove mixture from work bowl and form ball.
12. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
13. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
14. On lightly dusted surface, roll out pastry ball to form crust slightly larger than tart pan (most pans are 10 to 12 inches in diameter).
15. If you have too much dough, roll excess into ball, wrap and freeze.
16. Butter tart pan well and gently lay in crust, pinching sides to fit pan.
17. Place aluminum foil over crust and lay pinto beans or any weight over it and bake for 10 minutes.
18. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
19. Set aside to cool.
20. When crust is cool spread cheese mixture over bottom, then layer of sliced strawberries.
21. Melt jam with Cognac in saucepan and brush it over to glaze the fruit.
22. Chill before serving.

almonds, water, sweet butter, flour, salt, sugar, cold water, white cream, preserves, brandy

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6022 (may not work)