There’s nothing quite as special to me as individual desserts. In fact, it is almost an obsession of mine to come up with new ways to create my favorite desserts in individual servings rather than one large cake or pie.

Supermarkets have made it simple for me to accomplish my task with the availability of individual graham cracker tart shells. Here, I’ve taken a standard cheesecake filling, livened it up with zesty store-bought lemon curd and topped it with ripe strawberries. 

 This is the perfect recipe to pull out in the spring when fresh strawberries are at their peak. And, while I love the graham cracker crust here, these tarts are equally good prepared in individual frozen pie crust shells. Simply pre-bake the shells according to package directions, for about 10 minutes.

• 1 4-ounce package individual graham cracker tart crusts (6 crusts)
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 6-ounce jar prepared lemon curd, divided
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, optional
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and sliced
• Red currant or strawberry jam, optional, for glazing

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place tart shells on a baking sheet and set aside. 

Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup lemon curd, zest, if desired, and egg and beat until well combined. Pour filling into the tart crusts and spread evenly into the tart shells. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed but not browned. Set aside to cool. 

When cool, spread 1 tablespoon of remaining lemon curd on each tart. Top with some of the sliced berries. Heat the jam, adding a little water if necessary, until it is the consistency of a medium glaze. Brush over the strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 Makes 6 tarts.