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.
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- 300 grams flour
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- pinch Salt
- 150 grams chilled butter
- 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 mold, 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!
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Related Provence Articles
Eating My Way Through Provence My Favourite Restaurants in Les Alpilles
August 4, 2025
If you really want to get to know a place, start with what’s on the plate. During my recent trip through Provence, I followed my appetite across markets, bistros, and white-tablecloth restaurants — and each meal felt like a little window into the region’s soul. The food wasn’t just delicious; it was rooted. Honest. The …
Simple Seafood Dish Shrimp in a Sweet Paprika Sauce
July 28, 2025
During our trip to Paris, I created this easy seafood dish after a trip to the Les Halles market. I used three vendors: Poissonnerie Chez Miguel for the excellent shrimp — their array of seafood was so fresh and beautiful (with thanks for allowing me to use the photo above of the shrimp); I bought …
Summer Soup Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Recipe from Moulin Castelas
July 22, 2025
If you’d like to taste some of the best olive oil in Provence, look no further than the Moulin Castelas, situated just below the famous fortress of Les Baux-de-Provence. The olive mill and adjacent property are in the Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) Vallée des Baux de Provence in the Alpilles. This recipe for a perfect …
Make Lavender and Honey Ice Cream this Summer
July 14, 2025
Who doesn’t love ice cream on a hot summer day? This recipe combines culinary lavender and honey into a delicious ice cream that will “transport” you to Provence with every bite. Thank you to ElsaLenthal.com for allowing us to republish this recipe. Artisan Creations with Lavender Elsa Lenthal started Fuseaux de Lavande de Provence in …
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.