Strawberry Tart

The strawberry tart is a delicious Italian dessert. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients for shortcrust pastry:

• 300 g of type 00 flour
• 150 g of cold butter, cubed
• 120 g of icing sugar
• 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
• Zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt

Ingredients for custard cream:

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g of sugar
• 40 g of type 00 flour or cornstarch
• Zest of 1 lemon (or a vanilla pod)

Ingredients to complete:

• 500 g of fresh strawberries
• Jelly for desserts (optional)

Preparation

For the shortcrust pastry:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the icing sugar and a pinch of salt.
2. Add the cold butter and start to work the dough with your fingertips until you get a sandy mixture.
3. Make a well in the center, add the whole egg, the yolk, and the grated lemon zest, then knead quickly until you obtain a smooth dough ball.
4. Wrap the shortcrust pastry in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

For the custard cream:

1. In a saucepan, heat the milk with the lemon zest (or the vanilla pod).
2. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until the mixture is frothy, then add the sifted flour and mix well.
3. Remove the lemon zest from the milk and pour the hot liquid onto the yolk mixture, stirring constantly.
4. Put everything back on the heat and cook on a low flame, continuing to stir, until the cream thickens.
5. Transfer the cream into a bowl and cover with cling film touching the surface to avoid the formation of a skin. Let it cool.

For the composition:

1. Take the shortcrust pastry out of the refrigerator, roll it out into a uniform layer and line a previously buttered and floured tart pan, creating a high edge.
2. Prick the bottom with a fork and blind bake (covering the pastry with parchment paper and dry beans) in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove the beans and parchment paper and allow the base to brown for another 5-10 minutes.
4. Once the base is cooked and cooled, spread the custard cream inside.
5. Clean and cut the strawberries in half and place them on the cream, forming a circle from the outside towards the inside.
6. If you wish, you can brush the strawberries with some jelly for desserts to give them a shine and protect them.

Curiosity

The strawberry tart is a classic of Italian patisserie, often served as a dessert at the end of a meal or for a delicious snack. Strawberries, with their sweet-sour flavor, wonderfully match the sweetness of the custard cream and the crunchiness of the shortcrust pastry, creating a harmonious contrast of flavors and textures.