Strawberry tarts have got to be my all time favourite pastry. They have a perfect amount of sweetness and when the short crust pastry is made just right, it takes it to a whole other level. The recipe below will produce a perfect combination of both sweetness and crumble. What I love about this recipe, is that you can prepare everything the night before, and assemble it when needed. It makes about 5 individual tarts or one large 8 inch tart.
Ingredients
- 200g Flour
- 70g powdered Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 3 Egg yolks
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 100g diced Butter
- Crème Pâtissière (pastry cream): as used in the Éclairs au chocolat recipe.
- 100g Softened butter
- 200g Strawberries or Raspberries
- 2 Tablespoons Apricot jam
Directions
- Prepare the Shortcrust Pastry:
- Sift flour into a bowl and set a side.
- On a clean surface sift the powdered sugar. To it add salt and lemon zest. Make a well in the centre of these ingredients.
- Gradually add the butter, working it into the sugar with your fingertips. Ensure all of the surrounding sugar is incorporated to form a creamy mixture.
- Add the egg yolks and continue to mix with your fingertips to form a lumpy mixture.
- Gradually add in the flour while mixing to form a loose dough. Using the heel of your palm, smear the dough away from you to remove any lumps. Repeat until a smooth dough forms. Mould the dough into a ball and flatten it to form a disk. Wrap it with cling film and refrigerate for about an hour (preferably overnight).
- Prepare the Cream filling:
- Prepare the pastry cream as prepared in Éclairs au chocolat.
- Once removed from the heat, add the softened butter to form Mousseline cream.
- Line the tart moulds:
- Dust your work surface with flour and roll out your short crust pastry until it is 3mm thick. Cut out circles about 2 fingers wider than your tart moulds.
- Using a rolling pin, lift the dough and roll it over the moulds. Gently press the dough into the tart tin. Cut off any access dough. Prick the dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Place parchment paper over each mould and fill it with baking beads or rice.
- Bake the tarts in a 185 C oven until golden brown. Rotate the tarts 10 mins into baking. Once the crust has browned, remove the parchment paper and allow to bake until evenly browned throughout. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool.
- Assemble:
- Remove the pastry filling from the fridge and whisk it to loosen it. Pour it into a piping bag to allow easy filling.
- Fill each mould half way up with the pastry cream.
- Cover with a layer or sliced strawberries or raspberries.
- Heat the jam on low heat until a liquid forms. Brush it over the berries to finish it off.
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