The Modern French Strawberry Tart
A masterpiece of French patisserie with zero dairy. A crisp, sweet pastry shell filled with a silky vanilla bean custard, topped with perfectly arranged, jewel-like strawberries. Pure elegance.
Ingrédients
Method
Blind Bake the Crust
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a tart ring with your pastry. Prick the base, line with parchment paper, and fill with baking weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Let it cool completely.
Whisk the Pastry Cream
- Take your chilled dairy-free pastry cream out of the fridge. It will be firm. Vigorously whisk it for a few seconds until it becomes smooth, glossy, and pipeable again.
Assemble
- Spread or pipe an even layer of the pastry cream into the cooled tart shell. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
The Design
- Arrange the strawberry halves in tight, concentric circles, starting from the outside edge and working your way to the center.
The Glaze
- Gently brush the warmed, smooth apricot jam over the strawberries to give them that professional, bakery-window shine. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing.
Chef's Tip: Waterproofing the CrustNobody likes a soggy bottom! To keep your tart crust perfectly crisp even after adding the pastry cream, lightly brush the inside of the baked, cooled crust with a very thin layer of melted dairy-free white chocolate or cocoa butter. It creates an invisible barrier that locks out moisture.