Strawberry Tart

A strawberry tart that is best enjoyed with a cup of tea or a glass of fizz

With strawberry season now in full swing, this delicious strawberry tart recipe is ideal to make at home with the kids after a fun day at the strawberry picking farm. Even better, use your own home-grown strawberries in this sumptuous, classic French dessert. Ingredients

For the sweet pastry

• 200g plain flour
• 50g icing sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 egg yolk

For the crème patisserie

• 400ml whole milk
• 100g caster sugar
• 1tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 50g cornflour
• 50g unsalted butter

For the strawberries

• 400g strawberries, hulled and halved
• 3tbsp. caster sugar
• Small handful of lemon verbena leaves

Method

1. For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, butter and a pinch of salt into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough egg to bind the mixture, taking care not to overmix the pastry. Wrap in some baking parchment and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then remove the pastry from the fridge, roll onto a lightly floured surface and line your tin. Chill the pastry for another 30 minutes.
2. Preheat an oven at 180°C (on the Intensive Bake setting if using a Miele oven) and when ready, blind bake the pastry for 30 minutes. Remove the baking beans and brush the tart with the egg yolk and continue baking for another 10 minutes, this will create a natural seal in the pastry case. You can use the remaining egg yolk to make the crème patisserie.
3. For the crème patisserie, combine the milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan and gently warm over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk together the eggs, yolk and cornflour and gently pour in the warmed milk while whisking constantly. Return the mixture into the saucepan and cook on a medium heat until the mixture thickens up stirring continuously.
4. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps, then add the butter, mix well and chill in the fridge. Place some cling film on top of the crème patisserie to prevent a skin on the top. Leave in the fridge until needed.
5. For the strawberries, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to macerate. When ready, strain the strawberries over a small saucepan and gently warm up the liquid until it thickens to a light syrup. Allow to cool down.
6. To assemble, whisk the pastry cream to loosen it up and spoon it over the pastry case. Garnish with the strawberries, glaze with the syrup and serve.

Credit: Der Kern by Miele