The 4th of July is one of our favorite holidays to experiment with new recipes. It’s the true event of the summer, where friends and family gather for backyard barbecues and firework spectacles (either professionally done or homemade, we don’t judge). Whereas there’s enough burgers, hot dogs and potato salad to go around, the true treat of the 4th of July is all of the different pastry recipes you can play around with. Like this tart, for instance. This thing is as easy as easy can be. With a simple sugar cookie crust that adds the perfect touch of sweetness to a filling that’s less than 5 ingredients and takes all of 1 minute to come together, this recipe is truly unbeatable. Add in the fact that it also has mini star shaped sugar cookies and tons of fresh red and blue berries for some patriotic flair that just doesn’t compare, and you have the perfect Independence Day dessert. This thing is easy, breezy and beautiful, the picture-perfect pastry recipe for a summer shindig that leaves more time for fun in the sun. Watch and learn to cook this gorgeous 4th of July tart.

This pastry is what dreams are made of! And also, be sure to watch till the end for some information on a really amazing charity campaign with our partner, Tastemade, and The Fight Hunger Club. For every t-shirt you buy, a child in an underdeveloped country gets clean, filtered water for one whole year. Now that’s something we can really get behind!

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4th of July Tart Recipe:

Sugar Cookie Crust

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp lemon zest
¼ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Granulated sugar for cookie garnish

Filling

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup sour cream
½ tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
Fresh berries for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Generously grease a 10 inch circular tart pan.

2. For the cookie dough—combine sugar and butter in the bowl of a standing mixer and cram together until fluffy on medium speed. Scrape down the side as needed. Add flour, lemon zest, milk and vanilla and continue to beat at low speed until well combined. Set aside half the dough to be used for the sugar cookie garnish.

3. With floured hands, press one half of the cookie dough into the greased pan, keeping a ¼ inch consistency all the way through. Pinch tops uniformly for a “tart” look.

4. Once tart crust is ready, roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface and, using a small star cutter, cut out a number of cookies to be used for garnish and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. You can cut out more to be served on the side as well!

5. Place tart pan and cookie sheet in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until both are a golden brown color. Cookies should take approximately 5 minutes so be sure to keep an eye while baking. When ready, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

6. While cookie crust and cookies are cooling, make the filling. Combine condensed milk, sour cream, lemon peel and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and stir until the mixture has thickened, approximately 5 minutes. Cover and chill in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before assembling tart.

7. Once crust has cooled and filling has chilled, it’s time to assemble the tart. Gently remove the crust from the tart pan and place on a flat, sturdy surface. Using care, spoon the filling into the crust, smoothing as you go. Once crust is full, smooth out top and garnish with the berries and star cookies. Let chill for at least 60 additional minutes. Serve!