There is a lovely little restaurant in the town nearest our farm. They are famous for their pies, but it is the fruit tart that draws my attention. It starts with a soft sugar cookie base which is topped with a nest of cream cheese frosting. This nest is then filled with assorted fresh berries. It’s as pretty as a picture.

My family rarely eats meals out. Throughout my 23 years of marriage, my hubby and boys have always known that when 6:30 rolls around, dinner will be on the table. If we actually do eat somewhere and I find a dish I like, I immediately go home and try to make it myself. Duck confit? Check. Chocolate eclairs? Check. So it was only a tiny matter of time before I needed to try the tarts.

Turns out a sneaky little container of red raspberries did it. I have my own bushes, but on the day of this particular trip down the grocery store aisle, those were filled with hard green nubs that would slowly redden in the coming months. My patience was lacking. So the raspberries found a home in my cart, along with a carton of forlorn blueberries. Hey, they said they were friends that couldn’t be separated, and who am I to argue with adorable fruit?

For the sugar cookie base I went out on a limb and tried a new recipe that had been stewing away in the back of my mind. You can find it here. Anytime someone captions a sugar cookie recipe as “the softest cookies of your life,” I have to swallow two or three times. And then shove my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for the butter.

So, I followed the author’s instructions to the letter and they kept their shape, just like she said they would. However, I found the extra thick cookies to be doughy. Even after baking almost twice the amount of time recommended. The cream cheese in the recipe made the flavor so good that I had to keep trying. I made another batch and rolled these out to the thickness of my regular sugar cookies—approximately ¾ of a centimeter. The cookies turned out to be the perfect base. Not too sweet, firm enough to be picked up to eat, yet plushly textured. Success!

I used my great-granny’s fluted biscuit cutter which is 3 inches in diameter. This dough will make 24-32 cookies, plus a handful of scraps. I just smooshed those into a lump and popped it in the oven alongside the others so I would have one to munch while I was waiting to decorate. Such things are the cook’s privilege! I baked these thinner cookies for 8 minutes, till lightly golden, and then let them cool on the cookie sheet.

I’m sure store-bought dough would work also, and save you time if you just can’t wait to eat these. Alas, I have no idea if it would hold its shape during baking, or if it would be stout enough to hold up your pile of fruit without bending.

I fell back on my tried-and-true recipe for my cream cheese cookie frosting. This is not fluffy, but a smooth, creamy coating. I’m entrusting you with the super simple recipe so that you too can have cream cheese-y bliss.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
milk

Using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese till light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix well. Add milk by teaspoons until it is the desired consistency. Less for a stiffer frosting, more for a lighter one.

Take a scant tablespoon of frosting and cover the cookie. I didn’t go all the way to the edges because I wanted the fluting to show. If you won’t be eating them soon, now is when you can put them into a pan or container (in a single layer), then cover and refrigerate until you want them. I would leave the fruit off until near serving time so it won’t add moisture to the frosting and make it weep.

With some of the tarts, I just tumbled berries on top. On others I added a dollop of about 2 tsp. of raspberry preserves, then topped with whole raspberries. Yet another group got a dose of cherry preserves and fresh Bings. You could also use blackberries and strawberries to wonderful effect. I would leave the strawberries until the last minute if they have to be halved or sliced. Otherwise the juice from them will break the frosting and cause it to run.

The family verdict was that all were yummy, but the addition of preserves made a delectable difference. The cookie base is not overly sweet; the cream cheese frosting has a slight tang, so the jam does not overwhelm the natural flavor of the berries. It simply adds a rich flavorful layer. Try it and see if you don’t think it’s divine.

You could doll these up with a mint leaf, or some small violas. The fruit colors make these a perfect patriotic dessert for Memorial Day and the 4th of July, or you might splurge on fresh red berries for Christmas. But, be honest, do you need a special occasion to make these? Or does making them create a special occasion all by itself?