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french tarte aux fraises recipe - French Tarte Aux Fraises served in a white bowl overhead view
Chloe

French Tarte Aux Fraises

french tarte aux fraises recipe made easy at home. A classic French tart featuring a buttery pastry shell filled with silky vanilla cream and topped with fres
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 380

Ingredients
  

Pastry Crust (Pâte Sucrée)
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1-2 tablespoons ice water as needed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla Cream Filling (Crème Pâtissière)
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Strawberry Topping & Glaze
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries hulled and halved or quartered if large
  • 1/4 cup strawberry jam or apricot jam
  • 1 tablespoon water

Method
 

  1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon ice water; pulse until dough just holds together when pinched. If too dry, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, pressing into edges. Trim excess. Prick bottom with fork, line with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 10-12 minutes more until golden. Cool completely.
  3. In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium until just simmering. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until pale. Slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until thickened and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and butter. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature.
  4. Spread the cooled vanilla cream evenly into the baked tart shell. Arrange strawberry halves or slices on top in concentric circles, starting from the outer edge and working inward.
  5. In a small saucepan, warm strawberry jam with 1 tablespoon water over low heat until melted and smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Brush the glaze gently over the strawberries using a pastry brush.
  6. Refrigerate the assembled tart for at least 1 hour to set the cream and glaze. Remove from tart pan, place on serving plate, and serve chilled.