*Fresh Strawberry Torte*
Serves 12

Easy to make and a beauty to behold. This lovely tortecombines a wonderfully crisp and buttery shortbread crust with all the decadence of a luscious cream filling, topped with gorgeously sweet strawberries. A final dusting of powdered sugar is it’s crowning glory. It’s hard to believe that something so easy can be so impressive, but it’s true!

CRUST:
½ cup of pecans or walnuts, toasted (45g)
1 ½ cups plain flour (210g)
2 TBS caster sugar
FILLING:
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature (230g)
½ cup caster sugar 45g)
1 cup whipping cream (240ml)
3 cups fresh strawberries, halved
Icing sugar to dust over the top and a few whole berries for a garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse them until they are finely chopped, taking care not to turn them into a paste. It should only take 4 or 5 pulses. Add the sugar and the flour and pulse to mix. When well blended, add the butter, 2 TBS at a time through the hopper, pulsing until the mixture forms a crumbly consistency, and the butter is worked well throughout.

Remove the crumbs from the processor and spread into a 10 inch spring form pan. Press evenly on the bottom and pushing one inch up the sides of the pan to form a shallow crust with one inch sides. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan.

Once the crust is cooled, place the cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl and beat together until fluffy and well blended. Place the whipping cream in another bowl and whip until soft peaks form, taking care not to over beat it. You don’t want it to be granular. Slowly fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream, until well blended. Spread evenly in the cooled crust and then refrigerate for an hour or so to firm up.

When ready to serve, arrange the sliced berries on the top of the chilled cream mixture in a decorative manner, placing a few berries in the centre to garnish. Remove the sides of the spring form pan and place on a serving plate. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

*Note - Don’t ever wash strawberries. They become soggy and waterlogged. Just lightly wipe them with some damp paper towelling if they are dusty and dirty. Also, don’t refrigerate them. The flavour is so much better at room temperature, and if you can leave them out in the sun for a bit until they are lovely and warm and juicy, so much the better!