Easy Strawberry Tart

To make this easy strawberry tart recipe, start by preparing all the ingredients for the almond sweet shortcrust pastry.

Almond sweet shortcrust pastry: Place the softened butter, cut into pieces, in the stand mixer bowl.

Add the icing sugar...

...and mix these two ingredients together using the paddle attachment at medium speed.

Add the whole egg and incorporate it into the butter and sugar mixture.

It is completely normal if the egg is difficult to incorporate.

Add the flour, almond powder, and fine salt...

...and continue mixing until a smooth dough forms, being careful not to overwork it.

This is what the result should look like.

Gather the pastry into a ball and flatten it slightly with your fingertips on a sheet of baking paper.

Cover it with a second sheet of baking paper.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to an even thickness of 3mm.

You can use rolling pin guides to achieve a uniform thickness. Chill the rolled-out dough for at least 1 hour to firm it up.

Once the sweet pastry is firm, take it out of the fridge and remove the top sheet of baking paper.

Then place the sheet of baking paper back onto the dough...

...and flip everything over.

Remove the second sheet of baking paper to release the dough.

Place the rectangular tart ring on top of the dough, as shown in the photo...

...and cut out a rectangle of almond sweet pastry using a knife blade, following the inside edge of the stainless steel ring.

Remove the excess dough...

...and place the stainless steel ring over the dough rectangle.

This is what the result should look like. Refrigerate.

Form the rest of the dough into a ball and roll it out again. Chill for 1 hour. Then cut 2.5cm wide strips of dough using a knife and a graduated ruler.

Line the ring with these dough strips, pressing them against the bottom dough so that the two parts seal together during baking.

Press the strips of dough onto the inside of the stainless steel ring. There is no need to grease the ring.

Adjust the dough neatly on all sides.

Trim the excess dough by cutting from the inside outwards.

Place everything in the fridge for at least 1 hour before baking, or 30 minutes in the freezer.

It's important for this dough to be completely cold to ensure optimal baking and to prevent excessive shrinkage.

Vanilla diplomat cream: Prepare all the ingredients. Mix the powdered gelatine with the hydration water (tap or mineral water), and let it bloom for 15 minutes.

Split the half vanilla pod lengthwise...

...and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife.

Pour the whole milk into a saucepan and add the split vanilla pod and the scraped seeds.

Add half of the caster sugar to the milk and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, break the whole egg into a mixing bowl...

...and add the remaining caster sugar.

Blanch these two ingredients together using a whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. You should no longer hear the grains scraping against the bottom of the bowl.

Add the custard powder. You can replace it with cornstarch.

Quickly whisk together...

...until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.

When the milk starts to boil, pour half of it over the egg, sugar, and starch mixture, whisking constantly.

Transfer this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, which should be simmering.

Cook the cream until it thickens.

Once the cream is cooked, add the hydrated gelatin and melted in the microwave.

Whisk vigorously until it is fully incorporated.

Transfer the vanilla pastry cream into a container, spread it out in a thin layer for optimal cooling...

...and cover it with a sheet of cling film in direct contact with the surface. Leave to cool.

Baking: Place the tart shell in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 170°C, and bake for about 15 minutes. This baking time may vary from oven to oven.

At the end of baking, remove the tray from the oven. It's normal for the almond sweet shortcrust pastry to have slightly shrunk on the top, but the edges should remain straight.

Carefully remove the stainless steel ring using a tea towel to avoid burning yourself. Release the tart shell while still hot.

Trim the edges if necessary, in case of any excess pastry.

Leave out to cool at room temperature.

Vanilla diplomat cream (continued): Whip the whipping cream using an electric mixer.

Place the cold pastry cream in a mixing bowl...

...and whisk vigorously until smooth.

Add half of the whipped cream...

...and whisk vigorously.

You should obtain a smooth mixture.

Add the remaining whipped cream...

...and gently fold it in using a rubber spatula...

...until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous vanilla diplomat cream. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle Ø 12mm.

Pipe the vanilla diplomat cream into the tart shell in a layer about 0.5cm thick...

...making zigzags along the length of the tart, as shown in the photo.

Filling: Hull the strawberries and cut them into quarters or smaller chunks, depending on their size.

Insert the strawberry pieces directly into the vanilla diplomat cream...

...so that they stand upright.

The strawberries should be arranged in a random pattern, like this.

Continue this way along the entire length of the tart.

Once you reach the end of the tart, fill any gaps with pieces of strawberry...

...so that the cream is no longer visible.

Finish the decoration with a few whole strawberries (unhulled).

Finish: Sprinkle the surface of the strawberry tart with dehydrated cornflower petals...

...along the full length of the tart.

Use a large offset spatula to lift the strawberry tart...

...and transfer it onto a serving plate.

Place the tart in the fridge until ready to serve.

This tart can easily be sliced with a serrated knife, such as a cake knife (avoid using a straight-edged knife).

Carefully lift each slice with a cake server...

...and serve the slices.

Our strawberry tart is now ready to be enjoyed... Bon appétit!