The fresh strawberry and pastry cream tart is Grandma Fernanda’s recipe. A versatile choice for many occasions and a spring must — like the strawberry jam or the chocolate-covered strawberries — this delicious tart is filled with PASTRY CREAM (easy, made with only 1 egg) and covered with fresh strawberries. It certainly shouldn’t be missing from Sunday desserts or festive days. Today I’ll tell you how to make it with a shortcrust pastry base you’ll love at the first bite and a delicate, super easy cream made with a single egg. A fruit tart you can make not only with strawberries but with any seasonal fruit you love. Ready to run to the kitchen to make Grandma’s strawberry tart together? Let’s go — but first, as always, remember that if you want to stay updated on my other recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
Also check out these strawberry recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients to make the strawberry tart
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2/3 cup butter (cold)
- 1/2 egg white (about 15 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups milk
- 7/8 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- as needed lemon zest
- 2 tbsp limoncello
- 1 pinch turmeric powder (optional, just for coloring)
- 2/3 cup mascarpone
- 2.5 tbsp granulated sugar
- to taste pistachio flour
- 2.5 tsp powdered gelatin (about 6 g) — or about 3 leaf gelatin sheets
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 2/3 tbsp lemon juice
Tools
- Baking pan
- Food processor
- Rolling pin
- Saucepan
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Oven
Steps to make the pastry cream and strawberry tart
For this dessert, start by making the pastry cream so that it will be cold by the time you use it.
Let’s start with preparing our pastry cream.
Stir the flour and sugar with a portion of the milk,
(quickly, to avoid lumps), add the egg and the remaining milk. Work quickly with a whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free mixture.
Add a small piece of lemon zest and the turmeric for color, and let it thicken over moderate heat, stirring continuously.
Transfer the cream to a bowl and let it cool, remembering to stir it often so it becomes glossy and a film doesn’t form on the surface.
Prepare the shortcrust pastry by adding flour and sugar,
eggs, cold butter, lemon zest and salt into the food processor bowl. Work for a few seconds until you obtain a coarse mixture. Empty the bowl onto a work surface and quickly knead to form a homogeneous dough.
Avoid warming the dough. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes (if it’s too warm you’ll need to wait 30 minutes).
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1 cm (about 3/8 in), then transfer it to a removable-bottom tart pan and line it. Prick abundantly with a fork so it won’t puff up during baking,
and bake in a static oven at 356°F for 20–25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before moving to a serving plate (if hot it will break). Fill the base with the cream and
cover with sliced strawberries arranged neatly. Brush with the gelatin glaze (preparation below) and
garnish with the mascarpone cream (instructions below) and pistachio flour, then chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Soak the gelatin in very cold water; once rehydrated, drain the water, add the lemon juice and sugar and mix. Warm gently in the microwave or over a bain-marie and brush over the strawberries.
For the mascarpone cream, quickly beat the mascarpone with the sugar until smooth; use a piping bag to decorate the tart.
Storage
The pastry cream and strawberry tart keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days, covered with plastic wrap. If you don’t like strawberries you can substitute with other fresh or canned fruit.
