tarts

Strawberry and cream tart

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Strawberry and cream tart

First off… yes, I know this should be called a “flan” and not a “tart” (the difference is on the size, flan is big, tart is small), but I flat out refuse to call this a flan. To me, a flan is a custard and nothing will change my mind. So I’m calling this a tart while it technically isn’t. But who cares about technicalities.

I’ve tried many different recipies for strawberry tart over the years. My go-to was a recipe for strawberry mini tarts that were cute but were only good right after making. The whipped cream always turned gooey after the first day.

There is a bakery in Buenos Aires, a couple of blocks away from my in-law’s home that makes this beautiful and delicious strawberry tart that we used to get for every celebratory occasion. The crust is thick and crumbly, it has a generous layer of whipped cream inside and a lot of strawberries, glazed with a strawberry-flavoured jelly, and it’s topped with the most beautifully silky whipped cream swirls. It’s just perfect.

Seb challenged me to replicate it. And I tried, working striclty from memory because it’s been over 2 years since the last time I had had it. It turned out pretty good!

My biggest challenge was to figure out how to get the whipped cream hold its shape. Every time I made whipped cream, it became soupy after a while. I found out that the trick is to stabilize the cream. I used unflavoured gelatin and it worked wonderfully.

I also had to figure out how to have the crust to come out nice and crumbly, just how I remembered it. After doing some research, I came to the conclusion that I had to go with a pâte sablée dough, so I ended up using my lemon meringue pie dough recipe.

Ingredients

Crust

  • 100g powdered sugar
  • 200g room-temperature butter
  • 300g all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • Pinch of salt

Filling

  • 500g fresh strawberries
  • 1 red glaze envelope
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup boiling hot water

Chantilly

  • 2 cups fresh whipping cream
  • 8 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 tbsp (1 envelope) unflavoured gelatin
  • 2 tbsp water

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter slowly until soft and creamy. Add the powdered sugar slowly, and then increase the speed.
  2. When the consistency becomes creamy and the colour lightens, add the egg and keep mixing.
  3. Add the flour and salt, and mix slowly until a firm dough forms. Do not overmix.
  4. Form a circle with the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Take to the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Once chilled, roll the dough in a floured surface. Cover the pie dish and press against the side. Try to use all the dough, this layer needs to be thich. Tap base with a fork.
  6. Cover the dish and dough with aluminium foil and press. Add baking weights.
  7. Take to a pre-heated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes. After that time, remove the weights and foil, and cook for 5 more minutes. Let cool after taking out of the oven.
  8. While the dough bakes, chill the standing mixer’s bowl (use a metal one if possible), alongside the mixer’s whip attachment, for at least 15 minutes.
  9. Prepare the gelatin by mixing the powder with the water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, until the granules stretch. Heat in the microwave for 5-10 seconds until the gelatin liquifies. Set aside.
  10. Start whipping the cream. Once thick, slowly incorporate the sugar. Once mixed, incorporate the vanilla extract. Once soft peaks form, incorporate the gelatin as the cream beats in a thin stream. Continue beating, keeking an eye on it, until stiff peaks form.
  11. Transfer chantilly to a decorating bag. Use about 2/3 of the chantilly to fill the crust. Chill the rest of the cream.
  12. Wash and remove stems from the strawberries. Cut them in slices. Lay the around 2/3 of the slices over the cream layer.
  13. Mix the red glaze with the sugar in a big bowl and incorporate the boiling water, 1/4 cup at a time. Mix well until desired thickness forms. Add the rest of the strawberry slices to the glaze and mix well.
  14. Cover the pie with the glazed strawberry slices, ensuring the entire pie is covered. Chill for at least one hour before decoratinh.
  15. Using the piping bag with a star tip, decorate the pie with the remaining chantilly. Chill for at least 1 more hour before serving.

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