Yields 1 9-inch tart Ingredients Shell:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 2 pints strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
- 3/4 cup apricot jam, optional
Pastry Cream:
- 4 extra-large egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups milk, divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Directions
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse together.
- Add in cold cubed butter and egg and pulse until coarse and crumbly, then slowly add ice water and pulse until dough comes together.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 6-7-inch disc,
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Roll dough back out onto lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a tart pan or springform pan.
- Gently press dough into the pan and fold over excess. Take a fork to pierce holes in the dough and refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Place dough in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- For the pastry cream: beat together egg yolks, 3 tablespoons milk, sugar and salt in a bowl for several minutes, or until thick.
- Mix in cornstarch and transfer mixture to a saucepan.
- Heat remaining milk in a separate saucepan over low heat.
- While whisking continuously, gradually pour warmed milk into egg yolk mixture, along with vanilla extract, and cook over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened. (Don’t worry if it looks like it’s curdling, just keep stirring.)
- Stir in heavy cream, then pour cream through a strainer into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (directly touching the cream) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- Once cold, whip pastry cream until smooth, then spread it out into the pastry shell and smooth over the top.
- Arrange the strawberries cut side down on top of the cream.
- Heat apricot jam over medium-low heat until liquid-y, then pour it evenly over the strawberries and let cool before serving. Note: tart is best served the day it’s made.
Recipe adapted from Food & Wine
