10/06/2015

Makes 6x10cm tartlets or 1x23cm tart

Pastry:
200g plain flour
80g icing sugar
½ tsp salt
100g butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Crème Pâtissière:
600g whole milk
1 vanilla pod
100g caster sugar
30g cornflour
6 egg yolks
50g unsalted butter

Decoration:
1 Punnet strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp apricot jam

For the pastry; mix the dry ingredients then rub the butter in using your fingertips until large clumps form. Beat the egg with the vanilla then stir into the flour mix until a dough forms. Pour onto a clean worktop and knead a few times only. Wrap and chill for at least 20 mins. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 2mm thin. Line a 8inch/23cm tart tin with the pastry, pressing into the sides. Prick with a fork and chill for 5 mins. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 10 mins, remove the paper and beans and continue to bake for 15 mins until golden brown and dry. For the Crème Pâtissière; measure the milk into a large pan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the milk and heat over a medium heat until steaming. Do not boil. Meanwhile whisk the sugar into the flour in a large bowl. Add the yolks and beat until thick and pale. In a slow steady stream whisk the steaming milk into the yolk mixture then pour back into the pan. Cook over a medium-low heat whilst continuously stirring until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Have the butter in a heatproof bowl and place a sieve over the top. Pour the milk mixture through the sieve and mix into the butter. Pour the Crème Pâtissière into the cooled pastry cases and let set in the fridge. Arrange the strawberries on top of the cooled Crème Pâtissière. Heat the jam with 1 tsp water then gently brush over the strawberries to glaze.