Tarte aux Fraises classique (Printable)
Pâte sablée, crème pâtissière veloutée et fraises fraîches nappées pour un dessert printanier.
# What You'll Need:
→ Shortcrust Pastry
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 pinch salt
→ 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
→ Topping
12 - 1 pound fresh strawberries
13 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam
14 - 1 tablespoon water
# Directions:
01 - Combine flour, salt, and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Add cold butter and rub between fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Incorporate egg and mix just until a smooth dough forms. Shape into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out chilled dough to fit a 9–10-inch tart pan. Press dough into pan and prick base with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes, remove weights, then continue baking 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
03 - Heat milk and vanilla in a saucepan until just simmering. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale. Add cornstarch and whisk to combine. Gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat, add butter, and blend until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill.
04 - Wash, hull, and slice strawberries as desired.
05 - Spread cooled pastry cream evenly in tart shell. Arrange strawberries neatly on top.
06 - Warm apricot jam and water in a small pan until smooth. Brush over strawberries for a glossy finish.
07 - Refrigerate assembled tart for at least 1 hour to set.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- If you whisk the pastry cream just a tad extra at the end, it turns decadently silky—like a private chef’s trick.
- This tart is ideal for impressing guests, yet it’s soothing to make on a quiet afternoon.
02 -
- Once, I rushed the cooling step for the cream and ended up with a runny tart—patience here saves the whole dessert.
- Switching to a metal tart pan made my crust consistently crisper than glass.
03 -
- If the pastry cracks, a patch of leftover dough pressed in before baking fixes it instantly.
- A dot of lemon zest in the pastry cream adds an unexpected brightness that everyone asks about.