Cheesecake Tart With Cherry Topping

It's a fun activity to pluck off sweet cherries from the tree. We went to a local U pick Cherry Orchard last Sunday. The farm grows Bing and Rainier cherries, and a wide variety of berries. Berries were not quite ready though. So we just had a bucket full of cherries and I knew I would make some special treat for Father's Day. So here it is, Cheesecake Tart With Cherry Topping. It's an easy to make egg less, low calorie quick tart topped with just sweet enough cherry sauce.

Ingredients~
For the tart base~
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. 2% milk

For the filling~
1 1/2 packs 8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup low fat sour cream at room temperature
1/2 cup raw of plain sugar
1/2 tsp. orange zest 
1/2 tsp. tapioca or corn starch

For the sauce~ 
1 1/2 cup fresh pitted dark cherries, chopped
1/4 cup raw/regular sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp. flour or tapioca or corn starch

Special equipment~
8 inch tart pan
A metal whisk
A medium size mixing bowl

Method~
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a mixing bowl and combine graham cracker crumbs, unsalted butter and milk until moistened. Press the crumb mixture over bottom and side of the tart pan and bake for 10 minutes. 

Using a metal whisk beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar until smooth. Add in flour or starch and orange zest and mix well. Pour the filling into the baked tart shell and bake for 25 in the middle of the oven.

While tart bakes cook cherries with sugar until medium thick. Stir in tapioca or corn starch and turn off the heat. Remove tart from the oven and spread cherry sauce on top evenly. Bake for another 5 - 8 minutes until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool completely then refrigerate until chilled. Slice and enjoy with your loved ones. Happy Father's Day to all wonderful fathers around the globe.