Tarte aux Fraises classique (Printable)
Pâte sablée, crème pâtissière onctueuse et fraises fraîches pour un dessert printanier élégant.
# What You Need:
→ For the sweet shortcrust pastry
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
03 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 pinch kosher salt
→ For the pastry cream
06 - 2 cups whole milk
07 - 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/3 cup cornstarch
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ For the topping
12 - 1 pound fresh strawberries
13 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam (for glaze)
14 - 1 tablespoon water
# How To Make It:
01 - Blend flour, salt, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Rub in the cold butter by hand until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and mix just until the dough comes together. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface. Line a 9–10 inch tart pan with dough. Dock the base with a fork, cover with parchment and pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes, remove weights, and bake another 10 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
03 - Heat milk and vanilla to a simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar, then add cornstarch. Gradually whisk in some hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Off the heat, stir in butter. Cool with plastic wrap pressed to the surface.
04 - Rinse, hull, and slice the strawberries as desired.
05 - Spread the cooled pastry cream in the baked tart shell. Arrange the strawberries attractively on top.
06 - Gently heat apricot jam with water until melted, then strain. Lightly brush the strawberries with the glaze using a pastry brush for a glossy finish.
07 - Refrigerate the tart for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This tart has the magical ability to make even an ordinary weeknight feel like an occasion.
- The contrast of cool pastry cream, buttery crust, and ripe strawberries turns every bite into a celebration of summer's best flavors.
02 -
- If the butter warms up during mixing, your crust will shrink and lose its flake—work fast and cold.
- Letting the pastry shell fully cool before filling prevents a soggy bottom—lesson learned after one overly soft slice!
03 -
- Knead the dough as little as possible, or you’ll end up with a tough base.
- Use the back of a spoon to spread the cream evenly—perfection isn’t required, just love.