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Classic French strawberry tart with buttery pâte sablée crust, silky vanilla crème pâtissière filling, and fresh strawberries on top.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 140 g unsalted butter (cold)
  • 100 g powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • lemon zest
  • 500 g whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 large egg
  • 120 g granulated sugar
  • 40 g cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 500 g fresh strawberries
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Dice the unsalted butter into small cubes and chill in the fridge or freezer until completely cold.
  2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and fine sea salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the chilled butter cubes, toss with flour, and rub the butter into the flour between your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand (a few larger lumps are fine).
  4. Mix in the egg and lemon zest with a fork until dough clumps form, then gently knead with your palm just until a smooth, sticky dough forms; avoid overworking.
  5. Wrap the dough into a disc in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
  6. Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment and roll to 2–3 mm thickness; if too stiff, let it sit briefly to soften but don’t let it get warm.
  7. Return the rolled dough to the fridge for another 20–30 minutes to firm up.
  8. Lightly butter the tart pan, remove the top parchment, flip the dough into the pan, peel off the remaining sheet, press the dough into the corners and up the sides with your knuckles, and trim excess dough with a rolling pin or knife.
  9. Chill the lined tart pan in the fridge or freezer for at least 1 hour before baking.
  10. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) fan or 175°C (350°F) conventional.
  11. Prick the bottom of the chilled dough all over with a fork, line with parchment, fill with baking weights (rice, beans, barley, or pie weights) and blind bake about 15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
  12. Remove the weights and parchment and bake another 10–15 minutes until the crust is deep golden and cooked through.
  13. Cool the baked tart shell completely on a wire rack before filling.
  14. Whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth.
  15. Heat the milk in a saucepan just to boiling (or very hot), then slowly pour about two-thirds of the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream while whisking to temper the eggs.
  16. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and creamy; continue cooking 1–2 minutes to remove any starchy taste.
  17. Remove from heat and stir in the unsalted butter and vanilla paste, whisking until the pastry cream is glossy and smooth.
  18. Strain the warm pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into the cooled tart shell (or into a shallow container if storing separately).
  19. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, then chill in the fridge until firm.
  20. Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries as needed; place them in a bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, stir gently, and let macerate 10–15 minutes.
  21. Remove the plastic wrap from the chilled tart, warm a spoon under hot water and smooth the surface if desired, then arrange the macerated strawberries on top (optionally brush with warm apricot jam for shine).

Notes

Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements to ensure perfect crust and pastry cream textures., Make the crust and pastry cream ahead; keep the shell tightly wrapped at room temperature and pastry cream covered in the fridge., Strain pastry cream through a fine sieve for silky smooth texture and to remove any lumps., If pastry cream is too firm after chilling, whip it lightly with an electric mixer before assembling., Use a food processor to cut butter into flour if your hands warm quickly to keep dough cool., Variations include swapping fruits, adding citrus zest, macerating berries with liqueurs or balsamic, glazing fruit with apricot jam, adding nuts, or making individual tartlets., Store the tart in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days; crust softens over time so best served fresh.

Nutrition

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