PHOTOS: Danielle Bilton
The aromas of strawberries at the farmers market, have me dreaming of the endless strawberry desserts. I really enjoy this one because cream and strawberries go so well together. Then you add the crumbly sweet crust and it’s complete; one of the endless strawberry desserts, a dream come true!
SWEET TART DOUGH:
from tartine bakery cookbook
1 cup +2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, and salt. Mix on medium speed until smooth.
Mix in eggs one at a time and mix until smooth.
Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add flour all at once and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
Divide dough into 4 equal balls, 1/2 inch thick, wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or over night.
On a parchment lined baking sheet, set out your tart rings, I used 4-3 inch rings.
Once chilled, roll out dough to proper size you need to line your tart rings.
Dock shell with a fork and bake in oven at 325 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes. Make sure color is golden, about 5 more minutes. Set aside and let cool.
BAVARIAN CREAM FILLING:
from tartine bakery cookbook
1 1/2 teaspoon gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 1/2 cups pastry cream, cold
2 cups heavy cream
In a small dish sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
Next, in a double boiler, place 1/2 cup of the pastry cream in a stainless steel bowl resting over the simmering water.
Heat the pastry cream whisking constantly, until hot to the touch (120 degrees F), about 5 minutes. Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from water bath.
Whisk half of the remaining cold pastry cream into the hot mixture, then whisk in the rest.
In a separate bowl, whip the rest of the heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks. Immediately and gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula. At this point you want to fill the tart shells right away and store in the refrigerator until filling is set, about 1 hour. Top off with your favorite fruit and serve.