Strawberry love in Tarte aux Fraises
David Scott Allen · Pies & Tarts · Provencal Recipes · TasteMy parents still talk about the time when I consumed my fair share of fresh French strawberries, four times over. We were in Paris visiting family friends and strawberries were in season and thus a perfect dessert. It only took one bite for me to realise that I had been deprived for the previous 17-years with fakes posing as strawberries.
In his Cocoa & Lavender post, David celebrates the strawberry season with a gorgeous fresh Tarte aux Fraises . The full recipe is below and additional photos on his website.
Tarte aux Fraises
A light and refreshing tart filled with custard and adorned with the season's finest strawberries.
Equipment
- whisk, 12-inch stainless steel
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- 300 grams flour
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- pinch salt
- 150 grams butter chilled
- 1 large egg beaten
Custard Filling
- 80 grams sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Topping
- 2 pints strawberries hulled and halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup currant jelly
Instructions
Tart Shell
- Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse twice to blend.
- Add butter in 10 pieces and pulse 10 times.
- Add beaten egg, and process until dough is moist and almost ready to clump.
- Remove from the processor and place on the counter. Bring together into a ball; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll out dough into a 13-inch circle. It will break apart from time to time – just keep putting it back together.
- Slide the removable bottom of an 11-inch fluted tart pan under the crust (this will make it easier to transfer with fewer breaks) and then place it into the fluted ring of the tart pan.
- Press the dough into the bottom, sides, and corners of the mould, and trim any excess. Make sure all cracks are filled.
- Prick the bottom 10-15 times with a fork, line with foil, and fill with pie weights (I use dried beans), and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and weights and bake 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Preparing the custard filling
- Whisk together the 80 grams of sugar, 2 eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt.
- Pour into the cooled crust and bake for 15-18 minutes until custard is set. (It will be only a thin layer of custard.)
Preparing the strawberries
- Starting at the outer edge, arrange strawberry halves in concentric circles, points inward, until custard is covered.
- Melt the currant jelly in a small saucepan until liquid and smooth.
- Brush the strawberries with the melted jelly and allow it to set for 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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2 Comments
This is absolutely one of my favorite tarts ever! It is divinely exquisite in its simplicity!
And gorgeous too! Thanks for sharing your recipe David.