Cream and strawberry tart, the fresh and delicate spring dessert
The crunchiness of the pastry, the sweetness of the cream, the freshness of the strawberries: the spring tart par excellence, perfect to accompany an afternoon tea or to round off a meal. For a long time fruit tarts have also been used as wedding cakes, precisely because they are scenographic and appreciated by all. In our recipe we offer you a version with a light pastry, a lemon and vanilla scented cream, with a covering of strawberries and sweet syrup. The preparation of cream tart and strawberries it is not complicated, but it is long due to the waiting and cooling times of the ingredients. We advise you to prepare pastry, custard and syrup at least 8 hours before, so that they have plenty of time to rest before being able to use them. Like almost all preparations of this kind, the tart is even better the day after cooking: you can therefore consider preparing it the night before and decorate it with strawberries and syrup at least 3 hours before to serve her. Surprise your diners with this delicious and classic dessert!
Ingredients for 24cm diameter cake
- Flour 00: 400 g
- Cold butter from the fridge: 200 g
- Powdered sugar: 120 g
- Egg yolks: 400 g (about 7)
- Egg whites: 30 g (about 1)
- Organic Lemon: 1 zest
- Cornstarch: 40 g
- Granulated sugar: 210 g
- Fresh whole milk: 500 ml
- Liquid fresh cream: 100 ml
- Water: 80ml
- Lemon: juice of 1 lemon
- Strawberries: 600 g
- Preparation: 45 minutes
- Cooking: 40 minutes
- Total: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Calories: 570 calories/portion
Method
In a planetary mixer, pour the flour and the cold butter into cubes. Activate the planetary mixer leaf at speed 2. If you have a mixer or another food processor, operate the blades several times until you obtain a sandy mixture.
Add the icing sugar and operate the machine for another 15 seconds. Then add the eggs and operate the planetary mixer again at speed 2. For the food processor, operate the blades at intervals and at low speed, so as to mix without blending.
The mixture must be dry and well blended.
Transfer it to a work surface, compact it quickly with your hands and wrap it in transparent film. Place it in the fridge and let it rest for at least 2 hours.
For the custard
Cut ¼ of the vanilla bean vertically and scrape the inside with the small knife to obtain the seeds. Pour the milk, cream and vanilla seeds into a saucepan, bring to a medium flame until it almost boils.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and the grated lemon zest. Mix with a hand whisk or an electric mixer. Then add the cornstarch.
Take the saucepan with the milk, cream and vanilla and pour it slowly into the bowl with the eggs, sugar and cornstarch, mixing with a whisk.
Return to the heat and thicken the cream, stirring constantly.
Once thick, pour the cream into the bowl or baking dish and cover with cling film in contact with the surface of the cream. Let it cool to room temperature and then keep it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
The cooking of the pastry
Turn on the oven in static mode at 180°.
Grease and flour a tart mold of 24 cm in diameter. Roll out the still cold pastry dough from the fridge with a rolling pin, until you obtain a sheet of about 0.5 cm.
Approximately measure the dough by placing it on the pan, cutting the pastry disk with a knife or a washer. Then place the dough in the pan, eliminating the excess edges and pierce it with the prongs of a fork.
Cut a circle of parchment paper the same size as the pan and place it on the shortcrust pastry, placing a weight suitable for baking in the oven. You can use a ceramic bowl, or chickpeas or beans (be careful to always put a sheet of parchment paper underneath, never the legumes in contact with the pastry).
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. It will have to become golden brown.
For the syrup and strawberries
Pour water and sugar into a saucepan and place it on a low heat. Stir and when it starts to boil add the lemon juice, leaving the liquid to reduce for about 10 minutes.
Let it cool completely before using it.
Remove the leaves and stem from the strawberries, wash them under running water and cut them into thin slices.
Composition of the tart
Place the pastry base on the serving plate. Fill it with custard, leveling it to spread it evenly.
Arrange the strawberries cut into slices starting from the edges and creating a concentric decoration.
Brush the syrup over the strawberries with a pastry brush, being careful not to pour too much.
Leave to cool at least 3 hours before serving.
Advice and tips
You can keep the tart in the fridge for maximum 3 daysclosed in an airtight container.
If you don’t have a planetary mixer and you have to knead the pastry by hand, first work the flour and the butter into small pieces in a cold bowl until you get a sandy compound. Then add the icing sugar and mix very quickly. Finally add the egg, kneading vigorously for a few minutes, so as not to heat the dough.
You can replace the icing sugar with granulated sugar.
You can also make the cream with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. The addition of cream to the cream serves to make it more full-bodied and tasty, but you can also avoid adding it if you want a lighter pastry. Alternatively prepare a chantilly cream.
Try a delicious alternative: custard with strawberries and berries.
History
The tart with shortcrust pastry is one of the desserts of the Italian tradition, with very ancient origins. The legends about the birth of the tart go as far back as pre-Christian times, with the myth of the siren Parthenope, who, having rested on a rock on the coast of what would have been the future Naples, was honored, for her sweet song, by the gods with a dessert made with flour, eggs, sugar and butter. In reality it seems that the first real recipes based on shortcrust pastry were born in the convent of San Gregorio Armeno, in Naples: the nuns of the convent prepared sweets based on shortcrust pastry, wheat and ricotta (today’s Neapolitan pastiera), and they sold to the aristocrats to provide for the maintenance of the convent.
Ingredients for 24cm diameter cake
- Flour 00: 400 g
- Cold butter from the fridge: 200 g
- Powdered sugar: 120 g
- Egg yolks: 400 g (about 7)
- Egg whites: 30 g (about 1)
- Organic Lemon: 1 zest
- Cornstarch: 40 g
- Granulated sugar: 210 g
- Fresh whole milk: 500 ml
- Liquid fresh cream: 100 ml
- Water: 80ml
- Lemon: juice of 1 lemon
- Strawberries: 600 g
- Preparation: 45 minutes
- Cooking: 40 minutes
- Total: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Calories: 570 calories/portion
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