Strawberry and cream tart
How can I prevent shortcrust pastry from getting soggy with the pastry cream and strawberries?
- 1 unit shortcrust pastry
- 250g strawberries
- 3 egg yolks
- 40 g sucre
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
- cell
- 30g flour
- 25 cl milk
- mint
- basil
- Start by making the cream: In a small saucepan that can go on the stovetop, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, and mix again. Gradually whisk in the hot milk.
- Since this is a strawberry tart, it's a lovely touch to tuck a few sprigs of basil or mint, as you prefer, into the pastry before heating the cream. Heat the cream over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens (don't worry, this may take a little while; just keep stirring while heating). Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Place the dough in a pre-buttered tart tin or one lined with parchment paper and prick it with a fork. Place dried beans on the base to prevent the dough from puffing up during baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes (blind baking).
- Meanwhile, wash and halve the strawberries lengthwise.
- Once the tart is baked and cooled, remove it from the pan if necessary and spread all of the pastry cream over it. Arrange the strawberries vertically, pressing them lightly into the cream to secure them, and create harmonious circles.
To ensure a perfectly crisp tart base, the essential step is to blind bake the shortcrust pastry completely before adding the filling. Allow both the pastry and the custard to cool completely before assembling. If you are preparing the tart several hours in advance, you can also brush the baked base with a lightly beaten egg white or a little melted white chocolate immediately after removing it from the oven to create a waterproof seal.
What's the trick to getting a smooth, lump-free pastry cream?
To ensure your cream turns out perfectly every time, whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously until pale before adding the flour. Then, gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly. While cooking over medium heat, continue stirring continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan. If lumps form despite your best efforts, immediately remove the pan from the heat and use an immersion blender or strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve.
Can shortcrust pastry be replaced with another type of pastry for this strawberry tart?
Absolutely, the choice of pastry depends on your preferred texture. Shortcrust pastry offers a traditional, neutral base and excellent structure. Sweet shortcrust or sweet pastry will provide a delightful, biscuity, and indulgent quality reminiscent of classic pastry tarts, but it will be slightly more crumbly. Puff pastry, on the other hand, will give a lighter, crispier result. Whatever your choice, simply ensure you blind bake the pastry perfectly.
