Creamy Tart With Pecan Crust and Berries

Crust

1 cup chopped pecan pieces

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 stick (½ cup) cold butter, cut into pieces

Dash of salt

Filling

8 ounces neufchatel (light cream cheese), at room temperature

1 egg

¼ cup sugar

Topping

2 cups chopped berries of your choice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-inch tart pan (see notes).In the bowl of a food processor, combine crust ingredients. Pulse on high to just combine. Mixture will resemble coarse meal. Press into prepared pan. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow crust to rest while preparing the filling.For the filling: Combine the filling ingredients and whisk well, or use a hand-held mixer with a whisk attachment. Mixture should be smooth. Spread over crust, carefully spreading to within frac12; inch of the sides of pan. Crust will be very tender, so spreading in long strokes from the center will result in a #147;cleaner#148; cream center. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes, until center is firm. Remove tart from oven and cool for 10 minutes; then refrigerate, uncovered, for 50 minutes.About 30 minutes before serving, coarsely chop berries of choice and place them in a medium bowl; sprinkle with sugar. Stir well and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir berries well, then serve over tart slices. Serves eight.Cook#146;s notes: The crust is very fragile, as it is mostly butter, so using a removable-bottom tart pan can make a huge mess in your oven. If you do not have a solid tart pan, use the largest pie pan you can find.@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 363 calories (68 percent from fat), 28 g fat (14 g saturated), 23 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein, 77 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium.