Strawberry Tart

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pastry: pulse 1.5 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add ½ cup cold cubed butter, pulse until pea-sized. Add 1 egg yolk and 2-3 tablespoons ice water, pulse until dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.

2. 2

   Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thick and fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Bake the tart shell at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown (use pie weights for the first 15 minutes to prevent puffing, then remove weights and bake until golden). Cool completely.

4. 4

   Make the pastry cream: in a saucepan, whisk ½ cup sugar + 3 tablespoons cornstarch + ¼ teaspoon salt + 2 cups whole milk. Whisk in 4 egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (5-6 minutes). Off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Strain into a bowl, press plastic wrap on surface, chill 2 hours.

5. 5

   Hull and halve 2 lb of fresh strawberries (keep small ones whole).

6. 6

   Spread the cold pastry cream into the cooled tart shell, smooth the top. Arrange the strawberries on top in a decorative pattern (concentric circles is classic). Brush the strawberries with warm strawberry jam (thinned with 1 tablespoon water) for the glossy finish. Refrigerate 1 hour before slicing. Best within 24 hours.