This picture-perfect tart is filled with lemon cream and topped with fresh strawberries in a beautiful rose pattern.
This elegant and delicious dessert is made with sun-kissed sweet strawberries beautifully arranged on top, over a lemony and velvety custard cream (crema pasticcera), and a buttery and crumbly cookie crust (pasta frolla) at the bottom.
So delicious and pretty – a sure show-stopper!
The recipe takes a few different, easy steps. From the custard cream which only takes a few minutes to cook (plus an hour to cool down) to the basic, made-from-scratch tart shell, which can be baked ahead of time.
The best part … the strawberries on top! Cut them REALLY thin, and line them up, starting from the edges, moving to the center, in an amazing looking spiral.Make sure to look at the video below to see how I’ve done it, with a easy and simple trick. This part is the most fun, but it can be a little time consuming.
The result?! Simply mesmerizing. Take a look!
Click here for the crust recipe.
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Strawberry and Lemon Cream Tart
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 11 inch (28 cm) tart, about 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the crust:
- Click the link above for the recipe.
For the lemon cream:
- 10 fl oz (300 ml of milk)
- 1/2 lemon (peel in one piece, and juice)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup 100 gr of sugar
- 3 tablespoons 30 gr of flour
- 4 fl oz (120 ml of whipping cream)
- about 1 lb (450 gr of strawberries)
Instructions
Let’s start with the custard cream.
- In a small pan (or microwave) add the milk and the zest of half lemon cut in one piece. Warm up until almost to a boil.
- In another small pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and mix some more.
- Add the juice of half lemon, and whisk.
- Remove the lemon peel from the hot milk, and add some at a time in the egg mixture while whisking.
- Place the pan over medium heat and stir continuously until it reaches a slow boil. The cream will thicken, so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom.
- Lower the flame and cook for only two more minutes or so, until you have the desired thickness.
- Pour the cream in a glass bowl and let it cool down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Let’s work on the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).
- In your mixer, add all the ingredients for the crust and mix. Start with one tablespoon of milk only. Add more milk if necessary.
- Mix until the dough comes together in a ball.
- Make the dough into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least half hour.
- Grease an 11 inch (28 cm) tart pan with butter and flour.
- Roll the dough into about a 13 in diameter circle.
- Move to the pan, helping yourself with the rolling pin. Don’t stretch it out.
- Work with your thumb around the edge to make it even, removing any extra dough.
- Bake the empty crust at 350° F (175° C) for about 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake for 10 extra minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.
- Let the crust cool down.
- Whip the whipping cream and fold into the cream (once cold). Spread over the crust.
- Slice the strawberries in half, lengthwise. And cut each half of strawberry in thin slices. Fan out the slices, Take each half strawberry, cut in slices and spread out, and place them on the tart, starting from the outer edge.
- Add the rest of the slices. Note: the first slice of next strawberry goes BEHIND the last slice you placed.
- Work around the tart in a spiral, until you get to the middle.
- Store in the refrigerator. Best if served the same day.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dessert
