Strawberry Custard Tart
User Reviews
5
Strawberry Custard Tart
Description
This Strawberry Custard Tart starts with a shortcrust pastry made from flour, baking powder, butter, powdered sugar, and egg, providing a crumbly base. The pastry cream is prepared by gently heating milk infused with vanilla and lemon zest and mixing it with egg yolks, sugar, and rice flour for thickening. The cooked custard is quickly cooled to smoothness and chilled to set.
The chilled custard is spread into the pre-baked shortcrust shell, and fresh sliced strawberries are arranged on top. A glaze made from apricot jam and lemon juice is brushed over the strawberries to add shine and preserve freshness. The tart can be served immediately or chilled for a more set texture.
The result is a harmonious balance of textures and flavors: crisp crust, silky custard with citrus and vanilla accents, and sweet yet tangy strawberry topping. This dessert is suitable for showcasing seasonal fruit elegantly.
For best results, keep the milk just steaming to protect egg texture in custard, use cold butter for pastry to maintain flakiness, and avoid overworking dough to prevent toughness. The tart stores well covered in the refrigerator for several days but should not be frozen.
Ingredients
Pastry cream
- 500 grams milk 2 cups, whole
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablepoon lemon unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest
- 5 large egg at room temperature, yolk
- 120 grams granulated sugar ½ cup
- 40 grams rice flour ⅓ cup, or cornflour or cornstarch or potato starch
Shortcrust pastry
- butter for greasing
- 250 grams plain flour 1½ cups
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 113 grams butter ½ cup cut into small cubes or grated, cold
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 150 grams powdered sugar 1 cup, aka icing sugar
Topping
- 400 grams strawberry 1 pound, washed, dried and sliced, fresh
- 16 grams powdered sugar 2 tablespoons, aka confectioners sugar or icing sugar
Glaze
- 120 grams apricot jam ½ cup, or strawberry jam, smooth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or water
Instructions
Pastry cream
- Place a medium size glass bowl in the freezer to chill.
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla and lemon zest till steam rises, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk yolks with sugar, then add the rice flour, whisking till smooth and thick.
- Pour the warmed milk slowly into the egg mixture while stirring constantly. Mix till fully combined then turn on the heat to medium low. Continue stirring till the mixture thickens (around 5 minutes), making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, then remove from the heat.
- Pour the custard into the chilled bowl and whisk quickly to cool it down. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, then leave to cool on the counter before chilling.
Crust
- Grease a 20cm/9-inch round loose-bottomed baking dish with butter.
- In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour and baking powder, then rub in the butter till you get a fine crumb, and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, beat together the egg and sugar then pour into the flour mixture.
- Mix together till a soft dough comes together and form a smooth ball. Take care not to overwork the dough.
- Place some plastic wrap over the top and chill the dough for around 30 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled pastry dough with uniform ½ cm/¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Then lift the dough onto the greased dish pressing into the edges, allowing the excess to hang off the sides. Roll or pinch the edges of the crust and use a fork to make holes in the bottom of the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/380°F and remove the dough from the fridge. Crease some parchment paper, unfold it and place directly over the dough covering it entirely. Pour ceramic baking beans or dried beans over the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for a further 5 minutes till light golden brown. Set aside to cool before adding the filling.
Glaze
- In a medium saucepan melt the jam with the lemon juice on medium heat stirring constantly, till the sauce thickens to a light syrupy consistency (around 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Assemble the tart
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and whisk briefly to loosen it up. Pour into the crust, smoothing it down then add the topping.
- Cut the strawberries into thin slices and arrange in a pattern over custard.
- Brush the strawberries with the glaze and allow to dry before dusting with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Warm the milk only until steam rises to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely in the custard.
- Grate only the zest carefully to avoid the bitter white pith from the lemon.
- Use cold butter for the pastry to produce a soft, crumbly crust and avoid overworking the dough to keep it tender.
- Lightly flour the surface before rolling out the pastry to prevent sticking without drying it out.
- Allow the pastry dough to hang over the edges of the tart pan before chilling to ease trimming and baking.
- Chill the pastry dough for 30 minutes before baking for a tender crust.
- Apply a thin layer of glaze to the strawberry topping to add shine and preserve freshness.
- Store the tart covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days; freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 167 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 167kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 97mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 30mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 150mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 208IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 25mg | 28% |
| Calcium | 77mg | 8% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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