Tarte aux Fraises classique (Printable Version)
Pâte sablée, crème pâtissière onctueuse et fraises fraîches nappées d'abricot pour un dessert printanier.
# What You Need:
→ Shortcrust Pastry
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
03 - 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 pinch salt
→ Pastry Cream
06 - 2 cups whole milk
07 - 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/3 cup cornstarch
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Topping
12 - 1 pound fresh strawberries
13 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam
14 - 1 tablespoon water
# How To Make It:
01 - Combine flour, salt, and confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add cold diced butter and work with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and mix just until the dough comes together. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out chilled dough and line a 9- or 10-inch tart pan. Prick base with fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and paper, continue baking for 10 minutes until pale golden. Let cool completely.
03 - Gently heat whole milk and vanilla in a saucepan until it just begins to simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale. Add cornstarch and blend until smooth. Gradually whisk in some hot milk, then pour mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, whisking over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and incorporate butter. Cover directly on surface with plastic and cool completely.
04 - Wash, hull, and slice strawberries as desired for decoration.
05 - Spread cooled pastry cream into the tart shell. Artfully arrange sliced strawberries on top.
06 - Warm apricot jam with water in a small pan until fluid. Gently brush over the strawberries to give a glossy finish.
07 - Refrigerate assembled tart for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The glossy, jewel-like topping is so inviting that even pastry skeptics can’t resist a slice.
- It’s easier than it looks—there’s a rhythm to the steps that feels like a small kitchen dance.
02 -
- I once rushed the chilling stage for the dough—big mistake, as it shrank and cracked while baking.
- Letting the cream cool completely under plastic wrap prevents that telltale skin and keeps it silky.
03 -
- A microplane makes fast work of zest if you want a citrusy finish.
- I keep a digital thermometer to check the custard—just below a simmer, and never boiling, for the smoothest cream.