Description
This classic French Strawberry Tart, or Tarte Aux Fraises, features a crisp vegan shortcrust pastry filled with smooth vegan pastry cream and topped with fresh, macerated strawberries glazed to perfection. Ideal as a light, elegant dessert, it showcases the natural sweetness of strawberries balanced with rich, creamy filling and a lovely pastry base.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 1 batch vegan shortcrust pastry (refer to note 1)
Pastry Cream
- 1 ½ batches vegan pastry cream (refer to note 2)
Fruit and Toppings
- 500 g fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 60 g strawberry preserves (or strawberry jam/apricot preserves)
Instructions
- Bake and cool the pastry: Prepare a batch of vegan shortcrust pastry following your recipe instructions and blind-bake it according to step 5 of your pastry recipe. Once baked, remove and let it cool completely to room temperature before filling.
- Macerate the berries: Wash the strawberries, hull them, and cut them in halves. Place them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Toss well to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and let the strawberries sit and macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to release their juices and enhance their flavor.
- Prepare jam glaze: Pour the 60 g of strawberry preserves into a small saucepan and heat over medium flame. Stir continuously until the jam thins and becomes glossy. Use a pastry brush to coat the base and sides of the cooled pastry shell with this glaze. Drain the juices released from the macerated strawberries and mix these juices with any leftover strawberry preserves. Set this mixture aside for glazing the strawberries later.
- Fill the tart: Whisk the vegan pastry cream to smooth out any lumps and transfer it into the tart shell. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream evenly and create a smooth surface.
- Arrange the strawberries: Place the macerated strawberries neatly on top of the pastry cream starting from the center and arranging them outward in a circular pattern for an attractive finish. Once arranged, refrigerate the tart for 1 to 2 hours so the pastry cream can firm up.
- Glaze the strawberries: Just before serving, brush the strawberry reserve mixture over the arranged strawberries with a pastry brush to give them a shiny, appetizing appearance and add flavor.
- Storage: Store the tart covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For optimal freshness and texture, serve on the same day it is made. The tart is not suitable for freezing.
Notes
- Note 1: Vegan shortcrust pastry is typically made with flour, vegan butter or coconut oil, a pinch of salt, and a little cold water to bind. Blind-bake it to ensure a crisp base.
- Note 2: Vegan pastry cream can be prepared using plant-based milk, sugar, cornstarch, and flavoring such as vanilla extract. It needs to be cooked on the stove until thickened and then cooled.
