Strawberry-Almond Tart


Strawberry-Almond Tart
This recipe is from Baked, a regular column on SauceMagazine.com/blog.

Ingredients

1 lb. strawberries, sliced thin

Pâte Sucrée aux Amandes (Sweet Almond Pastry)

½ cup very cold butter
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup ground almonds (can also use almond flour)
1 pinch salt
A few drops vanilla extract (optional)
1 egg
1 2/3 cups cake flour

Crème Patisserie (Pastry Cream)

1 vanilla bean
1 2/3 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 Tbsp. butter

Preparation

Pâte Sucrée aux Amandes (Sweet Almond Pastry)

• Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a bowl.


• Work the butter to homogenize and then add the next six ingredients, one by one, making sure to fully incorporate each into the mixture before the next addition.


• Combine ingredients just until the dough comes together; do not overwork.


• Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before using. (If possible, it is better to prepare the dough one day ahead; it will be easier to roll out.)

• Set the oven to 340 degrees.


• Butter a 9-inch tart pan.


• On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to the size of the pan and fit it into the pan.


• Allow to rest in the fridge for one hour.


• Using a fork, prick the surface of the dough to keep from puffing up during baking.


• Fit a round piece of parchment paper over the dough, pressing into the corners and pressing down with dried beans or pie weights.


• Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly colored.


• Remove from the oven and let cool.

Crème Patisserie (Pastry Cream)

• With a sharp knife, slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip, scrape the interior to remove the seeds.


• Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod and seeds. Bring to a simmer, and then remove from heat, cover immediately and allow the mixture to steep for 15 minutes.


• In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until slightly pale.


• Incorporate the cornstarch.


• Remove the vanilla pod from the saucepan and reheat the milk, bringing to a simmer.


• Pour a third of the hot milk over the egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch mixture (to temper the yolks)

• Whisk together and pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan.


• Bring to a boil while stirring with a whisk, making sure to scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula. Remove from heat and pour the cream into a clean bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes so that it’s still hot but not boiling.


• Incorporate the butter while stirring.


• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Assembly

• Spread the pastry cream in the baked tart.


• Decorate with sliced strawberries.


• Serve.