Strawberries and Cream Tart (French Tarte aux Fraises)

This strawberry tart is a classic French dish that you will find in almost every boulangerie across the entirety of France. Although it may look complicated, we have a quick and easy recipe that will guarantee a stress free cooking experience, making for impressive results. The trick for this strawberry tart, like most other dishes, is good quality ingredients. When choosing your strawberries, ideally head down to a local market and be guided by your senses to best choose some wonderful, fresh and tasty strawberries. 

Pâte Sablée (Shortbread Crust):
3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (340 g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into bits (220 g)
2 egg yolks
1-4 Tbsp. water with ice, as needed

Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream):
1 cups whole milk
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
3-4 Tbsp. sugar
5 tsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
5 tsp. cornstarch

Topping:
1 lb whole strawberries (500 g)
¼ cup strawberry jam
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

For the Pâte Sablée (Shortbread Crust):
In a bowl, blend the flour, sugar, and salt.

Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with bits of butter no larger than peas. (Alternatively, you can process the mixture on pulse mode in a food processor.)

Add the egg yolks, and continue blending with the pastry cutter (or on pulse mode in the processor) until the eggs are evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles a fine meal.

Stir in the ice water with a fork, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until the mixture is just moistened enough to gather and mold into a smooth ball. (Or, with the food processor running, add the water 1 Tbsp. at a time just until the mixture forms a dough.)

Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a smooth disc. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you prefer. The dough may also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, and allow to rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit in the tart pan. Lift and turn the dough as you work, keeping the work surface dusted with flour to prevent sticking.

Lay the dough in the tart pan and press it firmly against the sides and bottom without stretching it. Trim off any excess dough.

Cover and chill the dough in the pan for at least 30 minutes before filling and baking.

To pre-bake the empty tart shell, prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover lightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5) for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil, and continue baking until barely coloured for a partially baked shell or golden brown for a fully baked shell.

For the Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream):
Set out a large bowl, a medium saucepan, a whisk or heavy spoon, and a sieve or strainer.

In the medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean over medium heat almost to boiling.

While the milk is heating, mix the egg yolks and sugar together in the large bowl. Then whisk in the flour and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth.

Remove the vanilla bean from the milk.

Then gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Do this very slowly as you don't want the yolks to cook from the heat of the milk.

Strain the mixture back into the saucepan.

Place over medium heat, stirring or constantly whisking until the mixture thickens and reaches a boil. Continue cooking for half a minute longer, stirring hard and constantly to keep the pastry cream smooth.

Remove the pastry cream from the heat. Stir in the vanilla flavouring at this point if you did not use a vanilla bean.

Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming, and leave to cool to room temperature.

The pastry cream can be used when cool, or covered and refrigerated for up to several days until needed.

Stir chilled pastry cream and spread across the bottom of the baked sweet pastry shell.

Arrange the strawberries in a pattern over the pastry cream.

Heat the strawberry jam with the lemon juice until boiling.

Use a pastry brush to apply the strawberry glaze over the strawberries.

Refrigerate the tart for several hours before serving.