Strawberry Tart

This baby is my pride and joy! It was so impressive. I made this tart for a special dinner with my family and friends in Indiana. I had picked up the fresh strawberries with my mom from the farmers' market in Broad Ripple that morning. I used the complete recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I know I know, this blog is starting to sound like a certain book and movie, but I promise to vary my recipe sources very soon! There were more components to this recipe than the desserts that I had made previously. Pastry cream and pastry dough are two fundamentals of french pastry. The first time can be a little scary, but now that I have one fairly successful attempt under my belt I will be more apt to put my own twist on it the second time around. I hope you enjoy this recipe and my beautiful pictures!

Tarte Aux Fraises (Strawberry Tart)

Julia Child- Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Pâte Sablée (Sugar Crust)

Yield: 9 to 10-inch shell

1⅓ cups flour

3 to 7 Tbsp.

1/8 tsp. double-action baking powder

7 Tbsp. fat: 5 Tbsp chilled butter and 2 Tbsp chilled vegetable shortening

1 egg beaten w/ 1 tsp water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly until it starts breaking into bits the size of oatmeal flakes. Blend in the egg and vanilla and knead the dough rapidly into a ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and press the pastry down with the heel of your hand and smear out and away about 6 inches. This smearing technique blends the fat and flour. Note, the more sugar you have added to the dough the more sticky it will be. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in waxed paper and chill for several hours. 

After chilled, roll out the tart dough to fit the ring or tart pan you are using. Using a false bottomed pan, ring or spring form pan will make it much easier to remove the tart after baking. Press the pastry evenly into the side of the mold. Line the pastry with foil, pressing along the sides. Fill with beans and bake in the middle level of a preheated, 375-degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough is set. Remove the lining and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and bake 8 to 10 minutes more. The shell is done when it has browned slightly and has started to shrink away from the sides of the mold. Immediately remove the mold from the tart shell and slip onto a rack. Let cool. 

Helpful tip: Do not skip lining the pastry with foil. I know from personal experience it can be a messy task to pick the beans individually out of the sticky pastry.

Crème Patisserie (Pastry Cream)

Yield: 2½ cups

1 cup granulated sugar

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup flour

2 cups boiling milk

1 Tbsp. butter

2 to 3 Tbsp. kirsch or cognac (brandy in my case)

Gradually beat the sugar and egg yolks for 2 to 3 minutes with whisk until it is pale yellow and forms a dissolving "ribbon" when the whisk is drawn up from the mixture. Beat in the flour. While beating the yolk mixture, gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets. Pour mixture into saucepan and set over moderately high heat. *This is the most sensitive part of the operation* Make sure to stir constantly with a whisk and reach all over the bottom of the pan. The custard will quickly scorch and brown on the bottom of the pan if not thorough in stirring. The sauce will be lumpy but some lumps will dissolve as you stir. When a boil is reached, beat over MODERATELY LOW heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and beat in the butter and kirsch or cognac. I actually used brandy and it was good, but I think I might just use vanilla beans added to boiling milk next time.

Helpful Tip: Strain the pastry cream through I fine mesh strainer. This will get rid of the lumps and will make your pastry cream very smooth. Also, if not using immediately place plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream, covering the entire surface and place in the refrigerator. This will prevent a skin from forming on top.

Currant Glaze

1 cup red currant jelly

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. kirsch or cognac (brandy in my case)
 

Boil all of the above in a small saucepan until a little sticky at room temperature or 228 degrees. 

Wash and hull the strawberries.

Now, it's time for all this hard work to pay off! With a pastry brush paint the interior of the cooled tart shell with the currant glaze. This will prevent the pastry cream from absorbing into the shell. After the glaze has dried fill the shell with the pastry cream and smooth the top. Next, top the cream with the strawberries, ends pointing up, or get creative. Finally, paint the top of the strawberries with the remaining glaze. This part really finishes everything off, creating a shiny coating for the strawberries. Ooh la la c'est magnifique!

Now that you have this basic recipe don't be afraid to play around. I think next time I might use raspberries or whatever fruit is in season. Cherries might be fun too w/ a little almond extract added to the pastry cream. Yummmm!!!