Strawberry and Cream Tart
Why I Love This Recipe
I baked this tart today as Mother's Day gift for myself
NOTE: The recipe is for an 11" tart, but I made small 4" tarts
the recipe is also on my blog
http://dajana-bakerscorner.blogspot.com/2009/05/strawberry-and-cream-tart.html
Ingredients You'll Need
PIE CRUST (for 10" tart)
100 g of toasted ground hazelnuts
150 g flour
100 g powdered sugar
120 g cold butter
a pinch of salt
1 egg
FILLING
80 g chocolate (I used dark chocolate with 50% cocoa powder)
2 eggs
250 ml milk
40 g sugar
30 g cornstarch
750 g fresh strawberries
2 tblspoons chopped pistachios
Directions
Sift butter, salt and powdered sugar on the kneading board.
Add hazelnuts (toasted for about 15-20 minutes in the oven at 200°C and then grounded) and cold butter cut in small pieces.
Rub the butter and dry ingredients with your fingers to get crumbs.
Add egg and combine together into a soft dough.
Form a ball, wrap in plastic and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
Roll the crust dough out (between two pieces of baking paper, otherwise it will stick to the board), press into a 26 cm (10") tart pan and punch the bottom with a fork.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F).
Let it cool completely. Melt the chocolate and cover the inside of the tart (bottom and sides).
Now, prepare the cream. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt till soft peaks form and set aside.
Mix the yolks with sugar, cornstarch and 4 tablespoons of cold milk.
Bring the rest of milk to boil and pour into the yolks mixture, mixing continuously.
Cook shortly till it is dense (it really takes a minute from the moment it starts boiling, so don't leave it alone and whisk continuously).
Add the egg whites into warm mixture and mix well. Fill the tart and let it cool.
Just before serving, wash and dry the strawberries. Take a handfull of strawberries and puree them with an immersion blender, with 2-3 tblspoons of powdered sugar and a 1 tblspoon lemon juice. Put into a saucepan and cook for a couple minutes stirring.
Arrange the rest of your strawberries on the top of the tart, if they're big, cut them in half/four. Pour the warm strawberry sauce over the tart, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and serve.
