Strawberry tart

For the crust

For the pastry cream

For the glaze

For the assembly

Impress your guests at your next gathering with this eye-catching strawberry tart .

Directions

for the crust :

• Add the cubed butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about 2 minutes or until it’s homogeneous.
• Add the egg yolks and mix until combined.
• Add the flour and mix until shaggy, about  1 minute.
• Divide into 2-3 equal pieces and press each into a flat disk. Roll out to a thickness of 3mm, 1/8 inch, in between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper, chill for at least an hour.
• Peel off the layers of paper and cut your tart bottoms out. Cut a strip for the side. Place the strip for the side in your tart ring. Press the side into the ring and trim the excess. Trim the top so it’s flush to the ring. Bake at 320f for about 12 minutes or until just golden.  ( if you’re  using a traditional tart mold you can just cur the rounds out and press into the form).                                                                      For the cream:
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 5 minutes.
•  In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the corn starch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of hot milk mix until incorporated.
• Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium- high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
• Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent skin from forming.
• Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance.                                                                           For the assembly:
• heat 1/2 cup of apricot jam, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp water in a bowl. Mix together and strain.
• Whip up your chipped pastry cream until it’s smooth. Transfer into a piping bag and fill your cooled tart shell.
• Place your strawberries in the tart.
• Brush your fruit with the apricot jam mixture. This will help preserve the strawberry and give it a beautiful glossy shine.