Tarte aux Fraises

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190 C conventional / 170 C fan. Lightly butter a 12-14 cm tart tin if needed. Wash, dry, hull, and halve or quarter the strawberries depending on size so they will sit neatly later.

2. 2

   Make the pate sucree: in a bowl, rub the plain flour, icing sugar, and salt with the cold butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces left; those small butter pieces help tenderness. Add the egg yolk and cold water, then mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork or the shell will shrink and toughen.

3. 3

   Roll the dough between sheets of baking paper to about 3 mm thick and line the tart tin. Press it well into the corners without stretching it. Trim the edges, prick the base lightly with a fork, and chill or freeze briefly until firm; this short rest helps prevent shrinkage.

4. 4

   Blind-bake the tart shell for 12 minutes using baking paper and baking weights or dried beans, then remove the weights and bake 6-8 minutes more until evenly light golden and dry to the touch. Cool the shell completely before filling.

5. 5

   While the shell bakes, make the creme patissiere. Heat the milk with the vanilla extract in a small saucepan until just steaming, not boiling. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, and cornflour until smooth and pale.

6. 6

   Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper it. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously and reaching into the corners, until the custard thickens, becomes glossy, and bubbles for 30 seconds; this cooks out the starch fully. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.

7. 7

   Transfer the creme patissiere to a plate or shallow bowl and cover the surface directly to prevent a skin. Cool for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice so it cools faster but stays smooth.

8. 8

   For the glaze, gently warm the apricot jam with the water until fluid, then strain if lumpy. This should be glossy and brushable, not thick like spreadable jam.

9. 9

   Whisk the cooled creme patissiere until smooth, then spread it evenly into the cooled tart shell. Arrange the strawberries closely on top in a decorative pattern, cut side down where possible for a neater finish.

10. 10

    Brush the strawberries lightly with the warm apricot glaze for shine and to protect the fruit. Chill or let stand for 10 minutes so the filling settles slightly, then serve the tart the same day for the crispest pastry.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For a true advanced finish, trim the pastry perfectly flush with the rim just after baking while it is still warm.
• •If the custard becomes too thick, whisk in 1-2 teaspoons of milk before filling.
• •Choose small, fragrant strawberries; oversized watery fruit can dilute the tart.
• •This tart is best eaten within a few hours of assembly, before the pastry softens.

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