I never thought I would be posting a strawberry tart recipe for the second time (see previous post here!). Let alone posting anything for a second time. Since the previous version of the recipe was actually my very first blog post, not only has the photography improved but so has the recipe. It is probably the best tart I have ever made. Hands down.
I was researching pastry recipes for quite a while, and I was debating whether to use Pierre Herme’s Sweet Tart Dough which involves the creaming method, or to stick with the usual cold-butter cutting into flour method. The more I researched, the more complicated it became since there are 3 main types of pastry doughs which I will explain in another post. I noticed that Pierre uses almond meal in his dough as does one of my favourite bloggers- Maja Vase. So I decided to do the same.
The recipe I used was inspired more by Maja Vase rather than Pierre (sorry!) as I prefer to stick with the method I know which uses cold butter. But I think the almond meal made the pastry a lot more crumbly, flaky and melt-in-your-mouth. Overall, just a better pastry in general.
Then the creme patissiere was inspired by Adriano Zumbo. It’s similar to the one I used to use, but a lot richer and creamier due to the egg yolks. I did have a cooking video planned for this strawberry tart, however, I needed an attachment on my tripod to get the overhead shot. I did decide to film a different video instead which is coming soon.
I just feel like things never work out how I plan to, and it’s disappointing because I don’t post a lot due to school and here’s only a limited amount of time to get what I want to do done. These holidays are slightly longer at 3 weeks, but it is never enough.
I went to Mooloolaba last week with my family, and it was nice to have a relaxing break after such a tough term. We tried Matt Sinclair’s (previous Masterchef contestant) new resturant Sum Yung Guys and went strawberrry picking. And yes, these strawberries were used for the tarts.
So I hope you are patient enough to stick around for the projects I have planned because, at this rate, it’s going to take a while. Also, please enjoy the new recipe!
Strawberry Tart
Makes one 24cm tart or 4 x 8cm tarts.
Pastry
- 250g plain flour
- 50g almond meal
- 100g icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 150g cold butter, chopped
- 1 egg, whisked
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, icing sugar and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the whisked egg and knead gently to form a soft dough. Wrap tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll 1 portion between two sheets of baking paper until large enough to line a 8cm loose-based flan tin. Lift pastry into greased tin; press into side, trim edge. Cover, freeze pastry for 15-30 minutes. Repeat for the remaining portions of dough.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cover the pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Blind bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Remove paper and beans, and bake for a further 7-10 minutes until browned on the bottom.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the tins, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Creme Patissiere
- 400mL milk
- 100mL cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
- 6 egg yolks
- 125g caster sugar
- 50g cornflour, sifted
- 50g butter
- For the creme patissiere, bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer (almost boiling) in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk the eggs yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale, then whisk in the sifted cornflour. Gradually whisk in the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture (this tempers the eggs to ensure that they do not scramble).
- Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Whisk for a further two minutes to activate the cornflour.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Cover the surface with plastic wrap (make sure it is touching the creme patissiere so that a skin does not form) and refrigerate to cool completely.
Assembly
- 500g strawberries, halved
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam, warmed, sieved
Spread a generous amount of creme patissiere into the pastry case. Place the strawberries on top and brush with the warmed jam to give it some shine.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.