Tarte aux Fraises (Printable version)
Pâte sablée, crème pâtissière veloutée et fraises fraîches assemblées pour un dessert printanier à partager.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Shortcrust Pastry
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
03 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 pinch salt
→ Pastry Cream
06 - 2 cups whole milk
07 - 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/3 cup cornstarch
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Garnish
12 - 1 pound fresh strawberries
13 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam
14 - 1 tablespoon water
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine flour, salt, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Add cold butter and rub gently with fingertips until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Incorporate the egg and blend until a smooth dough forms. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out pastry and line a 9 to 10-inch tart pan. Prick the base with a fork, cover with parchment, and fill with baking weights. Bake for 20 minutes, remove weights, and bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
03 - Heat milk and vanilla in a saucepan until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale, then incorporate cornstarch. Gradually add a small amount of warm milk to temper. Return all to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and cool completely.
04 - Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries as desired.
05 - Spread chilled pastry cream evenly in the cooled tart shell. Arrange strawberries decoratively on top.
06 - Warm apricot jam with water until liquefied. Brush the glaze gently over the strawberries for a glossy finish.
07 - Refrigerate assembled tart for 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The glossy strawberries atop velvety pastry cream hide how simple the tart really is to pull together—perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself.
- You can customize every layer: swap in citrus zest, play with different jams for the glaze, or sneak that last piece for breakfast (no judgment).
02 -
- Don’t rush chilling the pastry or the cream—any shortcuts lead to a soggy crust or runny filling, as I learned one impatient weekend.
- Warming the apricot jam slowly keeps it smooth; overheating turns it grainy and tough to apply.
03 -
- Letting the baked shell cool fully before filling avoids any rogue steam—otherwise, your cream might melt straight into the crust.
- For extra depth, rub a little lemon zest into the sugar before making the pastry cream—a little twist I picked up from a French friend.