Did you know that World Baking Day is on the 21st May?
Spread the joy of baking this World Baking Day with ProCook’s succulent strawberry tart – perfect for summertime. Serve up their stunning strawberry tart for your next luncheon or dinner party and indulge in such a decadent dessert this World Baking Day.
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
85g icing sugar
200g plain flour
100g strawberry jam, from a jar or homemade
500g strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tbsp apricot jam
For the Creme Patissiere
300ml milk
150ml double crème
3 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
50g butter, softened and cubed
3 ½ tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
For the pastry
1. Add the slightly softened butter and sugar together in a bowl and beat until smooth but not fluffy. Mix in the egg until properly combined and add the flour. Use your hands to bring the mixture together into a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Once the dough is chilled, dust the worksurface with flour and roll out the pastry into a circle that fits your tart tin. Line your tart tin with the pastry, leaving an overhang (pastry shrinks once cooked). Use a fork to prick the base to stop air bubbles from forming and chill for another 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas 6. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes before removing the parchment and beans and bake for a further 15 minutes, until golden. Leave the pastry in the tin to cool.
For the crème patissiere
1. Add the milk, cream and vanilla extract to a pan and place it over a medium heat, stirring occasionally while bringing it to a simmer. Meanwhile, add yolks and sugar to a bowl and whisk until pale before stirring in the cornflour.
2. Pour a quarter of the hot cream over the egg mix, continuously whisking to avoid separation. Once done, pour the warm egg mix back into the pan with the remaining cream and stir over a low-medium heat for 8 minutes, or until it thickens.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and cool for 15 minutes. Gradually whisk in the butter until smooth before covering and placing it in the fridge until needed.
Finishing touches
1. Beat your homemade or jarred jam until it’s loosened and spread it over the bottom of your pastry case. Be generous for a fruitier experience.
2. Put the creme patissiere into a piping bag and pipe the mixture in a spiral on top of the jam layer. Work quickly to avoid melting the creme patissiere from body heat.
3. Grab your sliced strawberries and arrange them on top of the spiralled creme patissiere. Arrange them how you wish, however, slices pointing outwards is the most traditional approach.
4. Add apricot jam to a small pan with 1 tbsp of water and heat until warm. Whisk to loosen, then leave to cool ever so slightly. Use a pastry brush to slightly cover the top of the strawberries for an additional sweetness.
To help awaken the star baker within you, Procook have also got a current sale that could save you up to 50% off their cookware and more.
