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Classic French Strawberry Tart with buttery pâte sablée crust, rich vanilla crème pâtissière, and fresh glazed strawberries.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (233g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (67.5g) sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 1 large egg (for crust)
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk (2% or whole)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract or seeds from ½ vanilla bean
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk (for pastry cream)
  • 3 tbsp (38g) sugar (for pastry cream)
  • 2 tbsp (17g) all-purpose flour (for pastry cream)
  • 1 ½ tbsp (11g) cornstarch (for pastry cream)
  • 5 ½ cups (790g) fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam

Instructions

  1. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
  2. Add chilled cubed butter and rub in with fingers or pulse in food processor until mixture is crumbly with pea-size butter pieces.
  3. Add 1 large egg and mix just until dough comes together; do not overwork.
  4. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and position rack in middle.
  6. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan.
  7. Roll chilled dough on a floured surface into about a 12-inch (31 cm) circle.
  8. Transfer dough carefully to tart pan, trim excess, and prick base all over with a fork.
  9. Cover tart shell with parchment or foil, fill with pie weights or dried beans.
  10. Blind-bake shell for 20 minutes.
  11. Remove parchment and weights, bake 10 more minutes or until edges are soft golden color.
  12. Cool baked crust completely.
  13. Warm milk with vanilla in medium saucepan over medium heat until just coming to a simmer.
  14. Whisk whole egg, egg yolk, and sugar until pale, then whisk in flour and cornstarch until smooth.
  15. Temper egg mixture by slowly whisking in small amount of hot milk multiple times, then whisk in remaining milk.
  16. Pour tempered mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and bubbling.
  17. Remove pastry cream from heat, pour into bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent skin; cool completely.
  18. Place cooled tart shell on serving plate; spread chilled crème pâtissière evenly into shell.
  19. Rinse strawberries, pat dry, hull, and halve.
  20. Arrange strawberry halves on cream with smaller pieces in center and larger around edge, cut side down.
  21. Warm apricot jam about 15 seconds, strain if desired, and brush glaze over strawberries.
  22. Refrigerate tart for about 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Pâte sablée and crème pâtissière can be made ahead and refrigerated before assembly to reduce last-minute stress., Always keep dough cold and handle gently to prevent stickiness and toughness in crust., Select ripe, in-season strawberries and sort by size for an attractive arrangement., Apricot jam is classic for glazing, but smooth strawberry or raspberry jam can be used., Store finished tart in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3–4 days; let come to room temperature before serving to enhance flavor., Avoid reheating assembled tart to maintain crust crispness., Unfilled baked tart shell can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw and crisp in oven before filling., Crème pâtissière can be made 3–4 days in advance and stored covered in refrigerator., Tempering eggs with warm milk gently is essential to avoid curdling pastry cream., Avoid overmixing dough to prevent tough pâte sablée., For individual portions, use tartlet pans or muffin tins and reduce blind baking time accordingly.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/french-strawberry-tart-tarte-aux-fraises/