My mom made a variation of this dessert from the time I was a little girl. I’m not exactly sure where she got the recipe, but I know it came from one of my aunts in Guadalajara. You just need to know that my uncle Ernesto would drive from his house in San Diego across the border into Tijuana to go to my mom’s house when she announced she was making strawberry pie. It’s not traditional or very Mexican, especially in its original form. She used to use a store-bought graham-cracker pie crust (which you are free to use), but I have concocted a much tastier crust using the traditional Maria cracker and piloncillo (unrefined solid cane sugar, usually found in the shape of small truncated cones). What I absolutely left alone is the filling—a fluffy, creamy, perfectly sweet filling that I could eat an entire bowl of if given a spoon. The amounts given will also work with a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom if you don’t want to make individual tartlets.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 tartlets
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Mix the strawberries and the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl to combine. Let the strawberries macerate at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place six 3 1/2 x 3/4-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet. Spray the tartlet pans with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3
Combine the crackers and piloncillo in a food processor, and process to form coarse crumbs. Add the butter and process until the crumbs come together. Press the crumbs into the prepared tartlet pans. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tartlet shells are golden brown. Let them cool completely.
Step 4
Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl until fluffy. Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and whip until well combined. Drain the strawberries from the macerating liquid, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Fold the strawberries and the reserved liquid into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon the strawberry filling into the tartlet shells, dividing it equally. (The tarts can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Galletas Marias
Step 5
Maria crackers are round sweet cookies with a vanilla flavor. They are the Mexican version of the English Marie biscuit. One of the most popular methods of eating Galletas Marias in Mexico is to spread cajeta, a goat’s-milk caramel spread (see page 212), on a cracker and top it with another one to make a sandwich; this was the usual dessert in my lunchbox. They can be used in layered desserts as you would use ladyfingers.
