Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Tart

This is summer on a plate, the perfect dessert for summer!  You can bake the pastry case and make the filling the day before and decorate with the strawberries a couple of hours before serving!

Serves 8

Prep time: 45 minutes plus 1 hour 20 minutes chill time

Cooking time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Sweet Flan Pastry:

125g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

90g caster sugar

1 large egg

250g plain flour

1 tbsp ice-cold water

For the filling:

75g white chocolate, chopped

100ml double cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

175ml whole milk

75ml double cream

40g caster sugar

½ vanilla pod, split lengthways

3 egg yolks

20g cornflour

400g strawberries, hulled

2tbsp strawberry jam, warmed

Preparation method

1.    For the pastry, place the butter and sugar in a food processor and blitz until combined.  Add the egg and blitz for another 30 seconds.  Now add the flour and process until the dough comes together.  If the dough is too dry add the ice-cold water.

2.    Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead, shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

3.    Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin.  Now line a 24cm round shallow tart tin with a removable base.  Leave the excess pastry overhanging the rim.  Allow to rest in the fridge for another 30 minutes.

4.    Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas mark 5.  Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans, blind bake for 20 minutes.  Now remove the baking paper and beans, return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes.  Cut off the excess pastry.

5.    Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

6.    Brush the base and sides with melted chocolate and allow to cool and set.

7.    For the filling, whip 100ml double cream and icing sugar together in a large bowl until it is stiff.

8.    Place the milk, 75ml double cream, 1 tbsp caster sugar into a pan over a low heat.  Scrape out the vanilla seeds from the pod and place both into the pan and bring to a simmer.

9.    In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and the remaining caster sugar.  Now gradually whisk through the cornflour until smooth.  When the pan of milk begins to boil slowly whisk through the egg mixture until it is thick and smooth.  Strain the pastry cream through a sieve into a bowl, allow to cool.

10. Now fold through the whipped cream into the bowl with the cooled pastry cream.  Spoon into the pastry case and level it with a spatula.

11. Slice the strawberries and arrange over the filling, overlapping as you go.  Lightly brush with warm strawberry jam glaze.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve, enjoy!

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