Don’t be intimidated by this elegant tart. It’s actually quite simple and couldn’t be more delicious. A toasty buttery crust is filled with a sweet vanilla cream, topped with fresh strawberries and a dusting of sugar before serving.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cold whole milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
- 1 1/4 cups cold light cream
- 1 quart strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Make the crust: Whisk the vegetable oil, egg yolk, milk and vinegar in a medium bowl. Pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine; add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the milk mixture and pulse once or twice, just to moisten the flour.
- Pat the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Trim the edges, if necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 350 ̊ F. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights; bake until golden, 10 to 15 more minutes. Beat the whole egg and the 1 teaspoon water; brush on the crust and bake 5 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Sprinkle the gelatin over the 1 tablespoon cold water in a bowl; let soften 5 minutes. Put the granulated sugar and vanilla seeds in a saucepan; rub together with your fingers. Whisk in 1 cup light cream over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Transfer to a bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice water; stir with a rubber spatula until thickened. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup light cream. Pour into the cooled tart shell and refrigerate until set, 1 hour.
- Before serving, top the tart with the strawberries. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 387 |
| Total Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 106 mg |
| Sodium | 178 mg |
Reviews
this recipe came out fine for me, for the people who’s cream did not thicken it was because the mixture was warm. as for the bowl you transfer the cream to and the one you put ice in, it will be easier if you cool the metal bowls in the freezer beforehand :]. if you are looking for a thicker more rich tasting cream you should use pastry cream instead of fresh cream. this recipe’s filling is basically whipped cream.
an alternative could be using confectioner sugar instead of granulated, since then you wouldn’t have to wait till it cools, though a chilled bowl and beating utensil will be needed.
when adding gelatin to the cold mixture it will become lumpy if added directly so it would be easier to microwave the gelatin after it blooms until watery, then microwave 1/4 or a little less of the cream and stir that together before whipping the cream till it thickens
Loved this recipe. It’s a purist kind of recipe. The crust is perfect, the cream is very pure cream tasting & fresh, the strawberries are perfect. If you’re looking for typical sweet American dessert this is not it. It’s is so simple it’s sophisticated.
I made this recipe exactly as stated, only substituting 1 tsp vanilla for the vanilla bean because I didn’t have it. I was skeptical to make this recipe based on the reviews saying that it was difficult. A lot of the reviews say the crust is difficult to make, but it is not much different than a graham cracker crust. I did not find it difficult at all. For the gelatin filling, it doesn’t state in the recipe how long the gelatin should take to start to thicken, but I found it took about 15 minutes for the gelatin to start to thicken, which wasn’t too long and I made sure to change my ice halfway through to make sure it remained nice and cold. Everything came together very quickly and it set up perfectly in the refrigerator. I was impressed with the taste, and everyone that had a piece said it was extremely delicious and loved it. I will definitely be making this again. Don’t let the 3-star rating scare you away!
I made this for a festival for the first time. The crust wasn’t as easy as I thought but I did do it and it came out great. Rest of the recipe was easy. the flavors were great. Got a lot of compliments. Thanks
I agree that this is not really an easy recipe and should not be labled as such. I did have success in getting my filling to set over the ice bath but it took about 15 minutes- not 2 minutes like the recipe stated. And I left it in the fridge for over two hours to set. I also took one look at the crust recipe and decided on a graham cracker crust. Easier to make (or buy!) and the contrast between filling and crust is nice. Overall, there is good flavor if you use the vanilla bean and fresh strawberries in season.
somebody kick the brainiac that marked this recipe as “easy.” Seriously?
The mixture did not thicken so it ended up being a very frustrating recipe. The flavors were good, though.
I am a pastry student and my roomate wanted me to make this for her. First of all it has some pastry cream like filling but you don’t get a full flavor because there are no eggs in the batter! It does not get thick over the ice bath. I had to add flour to get it to thicken at all. Also to make a tart crust you don’t need vegetable oil. I don’t understand the purpose of the apple cider vinegar either. Our formula at school is much more simple and ALOT better tasting. Don’t waste your time on this one. Literally left a bad taste in my mouth. Not enough richness by a landslide!
This tart tasted great, but I agree with the previous rater–it was more complicated than the recipe seemed to state. My filling did not thicken while stirring, but it did set while in the fridge. I think I’ll make it again this weekend (for the 4th of July) with strawberries and blueberries for a festive holiday dessert.
This was harder to make then led to believe. I will add one tsp of almond extract to crust next time to give it a “to die for” taste. I really loved the gelatin filling, wouldn’t mind a little more. I whipped up some cream to top it off. My boys loved it!