Strawberry Tart and custard on a shortcrust pastry base, an always elegant tart to present on various occasions, even to celebrate a birthday.
The strawberry tart is prepared with fresh strawberries sliced vertically to have beautiful slices that can be arranged in a fan all around the surface. To keep the strawberries looking good on the tart, I suggest as the last step to brush them with homemade sugar jelly.
This tart is essentially composed of three layers that need to be prepared separately, starting with the shortcrust base.
While the shortcrust is baking, I recommend preparing the custard so it can cool well before placing it on the crust. The fact that the cream is cooled will prevent the crust and strawberries from becoming too soft.
I suggest preparing the strawberries only after you have already spread the cream on the base and immediately cover them with the jelly. You’ll see that with these small steps, the tart will remain beautiful and shiny until the last slice you consume.
For those who love classic baked desserts, I also remember other recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 357.48 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 52.83 (g) of which sugars 31.64 (g)
- Proteins 6.24 (g)
- Fat 14.84 (g) of which saturated 8.96 (g)of which unsaturated 5.73 (g)
- Fibers 0.60 (g)
- Sodium 12.75 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 135 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- as needed lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- drops lemon (a few drops)
Tools
To prepare this tart, it is important to bake the shortcrust pastry in a special tart pan. For the custard, I recommend a non-stick saucepan.
- 1 Tart Pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Pastry Bag
Preparation
Prepare the shortcrust pastry base by combining all the ingredients and kneading them to obtain a dough ball. You can facilitate this process using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. The obtained shortcrust pastry does not need resting and can be used immediately. Grease the mold, roll out the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin, and cover the entire smart mold. Bake at 355°F for about 12 minutes, or until you see it turning golden. Let it cool in the mold, and only when it’s cold, turn the mold upside down to get the base already with the hollow to fill with cream.
While the shortcrust is baking, prepare the custard. In a small saucepan, put the milk with half of the sugar and heat it on the stove almost to boiling. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a graduated glass or container, add the remaining sugar, and coarsely mix with a spoon. Add the cornstarch to the yolks and mix to make it smooth. Add a bit of the hot milk you’re heating to the yolks to dilute them well and pour everything into the milk on the stove, stirring until you see the cream thicken. Don’t worry if you see small lumps; as the cream begins to thicken, turn off the heat and stir vigorously, and you will see the cream become shiny and smooth. Pour the obtained cream into a glass container to cool it; remember to always cool it covered with plastic wrap that touches it to prevent air from passing between the cream and the wrap, so it won’t solidify on the surface as it cools.
When the cream is warm or cold, with the help of a pastry bag fitted with a plain nozzle, cover the shortcrust surface filling the hollow.
I filled the entire surface, then with the same nozzle, I created a second ring of cream only on the outer circumference with these cream puffs you see in the photo.
After covering the shortcrust with the cream, hull, wash, and dry the strawberries. Slice them vertically with a smooth-bladed knife, obtaining many thin slices. Arrange the strawberry slices starting from the circumference and always walking in a circle towards the center of the tart. In the center, place an almost whole strawberry.
The last step is to prepare the jelly with which you need to brush the strawberries, which will take very few minutes. Bring almost all the water provided by the recipe to the heat in the small saucepan along with the sugar and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small coffee cup, put the half teaspoon of cornstarch, dilute it with the remaining water, and add it to the boiling syrup. Let it simmer until you see the jelly thicken and turn off the heat.
Pour the jelly into a glass cup so it cools slightly, and with the help of a kitchen brush, brush all the strawberries with the jelly, covering them well.
The strawberries covered this way will remain beautiful and shiny. Let the cake cool a bit in the refrigerator, and it will be ready to be consumed.
NOTES
The strawberry tart, after resting in the refrigerator, keeps well for a few hours even at room temperature. If you need to store it for 2 or 3 days, then keep it in the refrigerator.
If you liked the recipe or if you have any questions, feel free to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute strawberries with other fruits?
To cover the tart, you can use different types of fruit according to your taste and decorative imagination. Always cover all the fruit with jelly to prevent it from browning.
