Strawberry Tart

Pastry

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

• ⅔ stick butter

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• Pinch salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. To make the pastry, place the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Mix together with your fingertips until you have a soft, granular dough. Shape it lightly into a round cake and place it in the refrigerator to rest no more than 20 minutes. If it chills longer than this, it will become too firm and will split along the edges when it is rolled out.

2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth with a cold, lightly floured rolling pin. This is a fragile dough and needs to be handled quickly. To prevent it from sticking, stop frequently to gently lift the dough from the board and give it a quarter turn.

3. Roll out to a thickness of 1/16” to ⅛”. To gauge the size, place a 9” false-bottom or layer-cake pan on the rolled-out dough and allow an additional inch for the sides.

4. To place the dough in the tart pan, roll it up onto the pin and carefully unroll it over the pan. Lightly shape it into the bottom and sides. Don’t be concerned if the dough comes apart in places as you handle it. Once in the pan, it is easily mended by pressing it together lightly with your fingertips along the top edge of the pan. Pierce the bottom and sides of the crust with a table fork.

5. Bake in a 360°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. After about 12 minutes, check the tart shell. If it is puffing up, pierce it again but without letting the tines go all the way through. When the pastry has reached an overall light brown, remove it from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.

6. To remove the tart shell from the pan, place the pan on a cylindrical container such as a coffee tin or salt box smaller in circumference than the pan itself. Press down gently on the ring and it should easily slide off. The false bottom can remain under the tart, or the tart can be eased off onto a serving plate with the aid of a spatula.

Filling

• 10 ounces strawberry preserves, pressed through a sieve

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and dried

• ⅔ cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla or Grand Marnier

1. Press the strawberry preserves through a medium sieve. Paint the bottom and sides of the cooled crust with a light coat of this mixture.

2. Fill the tart with whole strawberries, arranging them in one or more layers according to the size of the berries.

3. Heat the unused preserves to boiling, and glaze the berries by spooning ¼ teaspoonful—just enough to cover—over each berry.

4. Whip the cream, sweeten with the sugar, and flavor with the vanilla or Grand Marnier. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator until needed.

5. Before serving, garnish the tart with a ring of whipped cream piped or spooned around the outer edge; or serve the cream separately.