← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 60 g Icing sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 400 ml whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 80 g caster sugar
• 35 g Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
• 25 g Butter
• 500 g Strawberries, hulled and halved
• 3 tbsp apricot jam

Method

1. Make the crème pâtissière: heat the milk until steaming. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour, then whisk in the hot milk. Return to the pan and whisk over medium heat until it boils and thickens, then cook for 1 minute more. Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla and butter. Cover the surface with cling film and chill for 2 hours.
2. Pulse or rub the flour, icing sugar, salt and butter into crumbs, then add most of the egg and bring it together into a dough. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 min.
3. Roll the pastry to 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, pressing it into the edges and leaving a little overhang. Prick the base and chill for 15 min. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F).
4. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 min. Remove the paper and beans, brush the base with the leftover egg and bake for 10–12 min more until golden all over. Trim the overhang and cool completely.
5. Beat the cold crème pâtissière until smooth and spread it into the pastry case. Arrange the strawberries on top in tight circles.
6. Warm the apricot jam with 1 tbsp water, sieve it and brush it over the fruit to glaze. Serve within a few hours.

Tips

• Brushing the hot base with egg seals it so the custard does not make it soggy.
• Use any soft fruit: raspberries, kiwi, figs or a mix of summer berries.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Olive Magazine