No-Bake Strawberry Lemon Swirl Tart

There are so many delicious summer fruits that are begging to be turned into dessert. And as much as I love pies, cakes, and cobblers, the last thing I want to do in the middle of a heat wave is turn on my oven. But just because it’s too hot outside to bake doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of a sweet treat. This no-bake strawberry lemon swirl tart is the dessert that I’m making all season long. It highlights strawberry (one of my favorite summer fruits) and is evocative of a classic French tarte au citron (AKA lemon tart)—but with less work and without turning on the oven.

The crust:
This recipe relies on a few no-bake shortcuts. Instead of making pastry dough from scratch, we opt for a crumb crust using shortbread cookies. It requires only three ingredients, comes together in just a few minutes, and has the same buttery richness. Any plain shortbread cookie will work here, but I recommend hunting for ones made with real butter (like Walker’s Shortbread or Pepperidge Farm Chessmen).

The filling:
For the filling, we make a sweet, tangy lemon curd that’s divided and flavored with strawberry. The key to a thick, creamy curd is by working over low heat and constantly whisking. You want to gently raise the temperature until the eggs are cooked, but not scrambled. You might be worried that this filling is made with raw eggs—but don’t be! By the time your curd has thickened, it will reach a high enough temperature that the eggs are entirely safe to eat. A fruit curd is typically soft and spreadable; in this recipe, we supplement it with some cornstarch to make sure it’s sturdy enough to slice without having to bake it.

The strawberries:
The strawberry comes in the form of seedless strawberry jam that’s added to a portion of our filling. Seedless is key here: you don’t want any lingering seeds disrupting the vibrant pink color of the curd. Once the tart is assembled and has set in the fridge for a few hours, you’re left with a tangy, sweet, buttery showstopper that you’ll want to make for every summer celebration.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!