Classic Strawberry Tart Recipes

CLASSIC FRENCH STRAWBERRY TART (TARTE AUX FRAISES)

Steps:

• Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.
• Step 1 -To make the crust, whisk together in a mixing bowl the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and mix with your fingers (or pulse in a food processor), until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg and mix until the dough roughly comes together into a ball; do not overmix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle.
• Grease and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan. Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface and roll it out to a 12-inch (31cm) circle. Transfer the crust to the pan. Cut any excess crust that hangs over the edge, and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.
• Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are slightly golden. Set aside to cool completely.
• Step 2 - To make the crème pâtissière, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm up the milk and vanilla. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch. When the milk is just simmering, pour it into the egg mixture, and whisk until just incorporated.
• Transfer back into the saucepan, whisk occasionally and remove from the heat as soon as it begins to thicken and bubble. Pour into a clean bowl, and cover the crème with plastic wrap; the wrap should touch the whole surface of the crème to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool completely.
• Step 3 - To assemble the tart, place the crust onto a serving plate. Spread the crème pâtissière over the bottom of the crust. Wash, drain, de-stem and halve the strawberries. Gently place them on top of the crème in a circular pattern (bottom side down).
• Warm up the apricot jam in a microwave for 15 seconds and pass it through a fine mesh strainer if needed (to discard of fruit chunks). Gently brush the jam over the strawberries. Chill the tart for at least one hour before serving.

STRAWBERRY TARTS

Steps:

• Cook tart shells according to package instructions.
• Blend cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Spread over cooled crust.
• Over medium heat, in a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar with pureed strawberries.
• Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Add to pureed strawberries. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is clear.
• Put individual strawberries on top of filling. Pour pureed strawberries on top.

STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend flour, butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt until moist crumbs form (this may take up to 1 minute). Transfer dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.
• With floured fingers, press dough evenly into pan and up sides. Dip a dry-measuring cup in flour, and use it to press dough firmly into bottom and against sides of pan. Freeze crust until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a fork, prick crust all over. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes, pressing down gently once or twice with a spoon during baking if crust puffs up. Cool completely in pan.
• Make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth; spread mixture evenly in bottom of baked crust (still in tart pan).
• Starting from outside edge, arrange strawberry halves, stemmed side down, in tight concentric circles on cream cheese.
• In a small saucepan, heat jelly on medium-low until liquefied. Gently brush strawberries with jelly; let set at least 20 minutes. Chill in pan at least 1 hour (and up to 6 hours); remove from pan just before serving.

CLASSIC STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry cream, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, until cold.
• While the pastry cream is chilling, prepare and bake the tart pastry, setting it aside, at room temperature, to cool completely.
• Sort the strawberries. You will need about 1 1/2 pints, or 20 ounces, to cover the tart. Rinse the berries, remove the hulls, then place them, cut-side down and not touching, on a layer of paper towel on a tray so they can dry completely. If needed, use a hair dryer on a gentle cool setting to make sure the berries are dry.
• Whip the heavy cream until stiff. When the pastry cream is thoroughly chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and fold in the whipped cream until completely incorporated. Spread this mixture over the bottom of the baked tart shell.
• Place the berries on the cream in concentric circles as close to each other as possible. The berries should sit on top of the cream, so don't push them down into it. Refrigerate the tart.
• Place the jelly and the kirsch in a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat until the jelly has melted and starts to bubble. Remove from the heat.
• Remove the tart from the refrigerator, and using a pastry brush, glaze the berries with the warm jelly mixture, giving them a thin but complete coating. Serve at once, or refrigerate -- but not more than a couple of hours, to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy -- until ready to serve. Remove the ring from the pan before serving.

STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll crust and press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. , Spread melted chocolate over bottom of crust. Refrigerate until almost set, 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cream and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over chocolate layer. , Arrange strawberries over filling; brush strawberries with jelly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove sides of pan before serving.