Carla Hall Shares Her Iced Sheet-Pan Tart Perfect for Any Cookout

When it comes to July 4th recipes, think outside of the box.

“I love this dish because it feels like a variation of eating pie at a cookout,” says celebrity chef Carla Hall. "It's so easy to cut and every bite has flavorful jam in it."

The judge on Food Network’s Summer Baking Championship (streaming on discovery+) suggests playing with flavors and decorations when it comes to this "not-too-sweet" dessert.

“For frosting and decorating, this is so easy to change up for different holidays and celebration," says Hall. "You have a wide variety of decorating options such as frosting, sprinkles. I’ve even done a version where I cut out shapes of pastry and baked them on top. Have fun with it!"

Carla Hall's Sheet-Pan Tart with Icing

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. water

8 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 2 cups)

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus 2 large pieces of lemon peel (from 1 lemon)

⅛ tsp. fine sea salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

½ tsp. vanilla extract

2 (14.1-oz.) pkgs. refrigerated piecrusts, at room temperature

1 large egg, beaten

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. heavy cream, divided

1 cup (about 4 oz.) powdered sugar

½ tsp. almond extract

Red and blue sprinkles

1. Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl; set aside. Stir together strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Gradually add cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring often, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in blueberries; cook until softened, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Pour berry mixture into a medium heatproof bowl; remove lemon peel, and discard. Chill, uncovered, until completely cool, about 45 minutes.

2. On a lightly floured surface, gently unroll 2 piecrusts, and stack them; roll into a 14-inch circle (⅛-inch-thick). Use a sharp knife to cut out a 12x9-inch rectangle; discard dough scraps. Carefully transfer onto a sheet pan lined with parchment. Repeat process with remaining package of piecrusts. Chill 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove fruit filling from refrigerator. Spread filling evenly over one of the prepared piecrust rectangles, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.

4. Whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon of the heavy cream in a small bowl. Brush edges of piecrust with egg wash. Remove the second prepared piecrust from refrigerator, and carefully place on top of filling, aligning edges. Use a fork to crimp edges and seal. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Bake tart in preheated oven until golden brown, rotating pan halfway through, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on pan on a wire rack, 1 hour. Whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream and almond extract in a small bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 tablespoon cream if needed to reach desired consistency. Gently spread icing over top of the pastry, and decorate with sprinkles. Slice and serve.

Serves: 6

Active time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Quick tip! “You can prep and assemble the whole thing ahead of time, freeze it and then bake it when you want to eat,” says Hall. “To make it even easier, use a jarred, store-bought jam.”