The EASIEST French strawberry tart, also known as the “Tarte aux fraises”, is one of my favorites French sweets. This French dessert includes a sweet pastry crust (“pâte brisée”) and a creamy vanilla pastry cream (“crème patissière”) fashioned on a technique from a French chef.
Strawberry tart is one of the most famous french desserts that we share with family and friends, especially when strawberries are in season (from early May to August); During this time, we can find this tart any bakery will have on offer.
This delicious dessert is very present on the French family’s table, and it is not uncommon for it to be one of the desserts at birthday parties during this time of year.
In France, in the summers, from time to time, we make this dessert that is one of the favorites to share on the afternoons a garden get-togethers parties.
When the strawberry season is over, or you can’t find any strawberries at all, you can replace them with another seasonal fruit.
The recipe remains the same; it will suffice to harmoniously place the fruit of your choice on this smooth and tasty pastry cream.
Once you have mastered the sweet shortcrust pastry dough recipe, which is less easy to make, then it doesn’t take much to make tarts, pies for all tastes. All we need is a bit of imagination to create sublime pastries!
How to make a strawberry tart with pastry cream.
Prepare the pastry crust.
To prepare the crust, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated. In the bottom of a springform pan, press the dough.
It’ll be a touch crumbly, so take your time! Preheat oven to 356 °F (180 ° C) and bake until golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes). While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
Prepare the vanilla pastry cream.
The crème pâtissière is a vanilla pastry cream thickened with egg yolks, milk, and vanilla beans.
Heat the milk over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, almost to a boil; add the split vanilla bean. At the same time, the milk is being heated to mix the sugar, the yolks, and the maizéna (cornstarch).
Over medium heat, add a little boiling milk to this mixture while constantly whisking, and then add the pastry to the remaining milk.
Whisk vigorously until it begins to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until the cream is thick.
Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the entire surface and set aside to cool. (The plastic wrap prevents the formation of custard skin on top and then sets it aside to cool completely).
French Strawberry tart topping
Spread the vanilla pastry cream into the crust, use a knife to swirl the pastry cream, depending on your tastes, top with fresh strawberries, sliced or cut in half, sprinkle icing sugar on top, or cover the top by adding jam to make a marbled effect.
Top Tips For Making a Perfetc Tart
- Be sure to use fresh bio eggs. According to a Penn State University study, eggs from organic egg farmers have twice as much omega-3 fatty acids and substantially greater percentages of vitamins A and E.
- Make sure to use Organic milk: You can enjoy the nutritional benefits of milk without exposing your family to chemical pollutants if you choose organic milk. Numerous studies have shown that organic milk has higher nutritional content and more healthful omega-3 fatty acids and disease-fighting antioxidants than non-organic milk.
- Topping your tart with Fresh Strawberries: Strawberries are a sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie meal abundant in vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants known as polyphenols. They are a good source of manganese and potassium and are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity.
[blockquote align=”none” author=“Zol”] Ready to dive into this recipe? Let’s get started. [/blockquote]
French Strawberry Tart with Pastry Cream.
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients for the butter tart crust
Ingredients to make Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 600 ml milk
- 2 vanilla bean pods split in half
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tbsp cornstarch (maizena – cornflour)
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 40 g butter
Garnish for the Strawberry Tart
- 500 g fresh strawberries
- 1 tsp Icing sugar optional
- 10 g chopped pistachios optional
Instructions
Step ONE – Make sweet Shortcrust pastry
- The sweet Shortcrust pastry can be prepared the day before following the recipes here or made the same day following these steps but keep in mind that you have to cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours before using it.
- Sift the flour into a bowl, then add cold butter, cut into small cubes, the icing sugar, and mix well by hand or using a food processor.
- Then add the two egg yolks, the cold milk, salt, and mix until a homogeneous dough forms, lightly flour it, and roll it out. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20 Mins to 2 hrs.
- Roll the tart crust dough disk into a tart mold, cover it with a baking paper disc, and put some beans to bake it without garnish. Bake for about 10 to 15 at 356 °F (180 ° C). Take out and remove the clay balls. The dough must be golden and cooked all over; otherwise, extend for a few minutes.
Step TWO – Make The Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Heat the milk over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, almost to a boil, add the split vanilla bean.
- In a bowl, while the milk is being heated, whip the sugar, the yolks, and the maizéna (cornstarch).
- Add a little boiling milk to this mixture while constantly whisking, over medium heat, and now add the pastry to the rest of the milk.
- Whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken – this should take about 1 – 2 minutes, now add the butter and once the cream is thick, pour the custard into a bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the whole surface. The plastic wrap is to prevent custard skin from forming on top. And let it cool completely.
The Strawberry tart topping
- When the pie shell has cooled, spread the cooled pastry cream on top and place the strawberries that should be washed and dried. Remove the tops of the strawberries and set them aside. Whip the cream to make it smooth and easily spreadable, distribute it in the tart shell which is baked, and Starting from the center arrange the strawberries on top, sprinkle with icing sugar before serving or You can use jam to cover the top.
- To do so, in a small saucepan, over low heat, dilute two spoonfuls of fruit jelly or strawberry jam with one spoonful of water. Make the pie shine by bypassing this topping with a brush over the fruits. Brush the tops of the strawberries with the jam using a pastry brush until they are completely covered. Put the tart on the fridge to set for a few hours.
Notes
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe. Please let me know in the comments section below. Happy Baking!
1 comment
Great Recipe!