We were visiting some friends over the weekend and I was charged with bringing dessert (what a surprise!); despite the fact that I was already taking the remnants of two cakes with us (carrot and cookie dough brownie), I couldn't resist making something else to take...(I'm good at overkill...). I figured that two cakes was probably enough cake (just...!) so for my third dessert I went with a tart. Strawberries were on offer at my local supermarket so I picked some up as I hadn't had any since last summer and I love strawberry tart; I was initially just going to make the classic strawberry and vanilla pastry cream combination but at the last minute decided to throw some chocolate in there as well because everything is better with chocolate; so I ended up with this strawberry tart with chocolate pastry cream.
The base is a simple, crisp sweet shortcrust pastry, which you need to blind bake; I brushed the pastry with melted chocolate after it had baked and cooled, and left it to set before filling the tart. This step is optional but it helps to create a barrier between the pastry and the filling to stop the pastry from going soggy, so is a good idea if you are assembling the tart a while before serving. It is best served not too long after assembly, although I filled mine a good few hours and a 2 hour car journey before serving it, and the pastry was still crisp (the glaze melted a bit in the car though...it's best kept refrigerated...).
The filling is pastry cream, with cocoa powder and chocolate added to make it chocolatey, it is made in the same way as standard pastry cream except that cocoa powder is whisked into the egg yolks along with the flour, and then chopped chocolate is whisked in once the custard is cooked; it is smooth, creamy and chocolatey, but not as rich as ganche (so you can eat more of it!). The strawberry decoration is very easy to do - I just sliced them and then arranged the slices in circles on top of the pastry cream, but it looks very impressive! The strawberries are glazed with apricot jam that has been warmed and sieved, again this step is optional, but it makes the strawberries look beautifully shiny and stops them from drying out. The pastry case can be made and baked (and glazed with chocolate) and the pastry cream made up to two days ahead of serving, so this tart is great if you want something that can be prepared in advance as it only takes about ten minutes to assemble. It is delicious (because really, you can't go wrong with chocolate, strawberries and crisp pastry) but it is not so sweet and rich that you can't manage a second slice...
Chocolate Strawberry Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 175 g (1 + ½ cups) plain flour
- 35 g (⅓ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
- pinch salt
- 100 g (⅓ cup + scant 2 tbsp) cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp ice cold water
Chocolate Creme Patisserie
- 415 ml (1 + ½ + ¼ cups) full fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 5 egg yolks
- 100 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 35 g (¼ cup + 1tbsp) plain flour
- 35 g (¼ cup + 1tbsp) cocoa powder
- 50 g (2 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
To Finish
- 50 g (2 oz) dark chocolate
- 400 g (14 oz) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 heaped tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
To make the tart case
- Place the flour, icing sugar and salt either in a bowl or a food processor and mix. Add the butter and rub in with your fingers or pulse in the food processor until it resembles sand. Mix in the egg yolk then gradually add the cold water until it forms a soft but not wet dough. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.
- Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to line a 23cm/9in tart tin and no thicker than 5mm. Place the pastry in the tin and gently press it into the corners, do not trim off any overhanging pastry (it helps to stop the pastry shrinking when it is baked).
- Place the pastry case in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line the pastry case with tin foil or greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. You only need a single layer of beans across the centre but try to shore up the edges of the pastry case with beans.
- Bake for about 25 minutes then remove the beans and foil/paper and turn the oven down to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and bake for another 15 minutes until the pastry is golden all over.
- Use a very sharp serrated knife to trim off any overhanging pastry while it is still warm and in the tin. Allow to cool then remove the pastry case from the tin.
To make the creme patisserie
- Place the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan and heat until just boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thickened, then whisk in the flour and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture then return it to the saucepan over a medium/high heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly, until very thick.
- Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth, then pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with clingfilm directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, refrigerate until cold. (If the mixture is lumpy at all then you will need to scrape it through a sieve before refrigerating).
To assemble
- Place the tart case on a serving plate. Melt the 50g of chocolate and brush it all over the inside of the pastry case with a pastry brush, set aside until the chocolate has set (this helps to create a barrier between the pastry and the filling to stop the pastry from going soggy).
- Once the chocolate has solidified, beat the chilled pastry cream until it is smooth and spreadable, then spread it evenly over the inside of the pastry case. Arrange the strawberry slices in concentric circles on top of the creme patisserie.
- Gently heat the apricot jam (either in a small saucepan or in bursts in the microwave) until runny. Pass it through a sieve to remove any pieces of fruit, then brush the strawberry slices with the jam using a pastry brush.
- Keep the tart refrigerated, it is best served shortly after filling.
Notes
I am sharing this with Totally Talented Tuesdays, Create Link Inspire, Foodie Fridiy, Fiesta Friday and Foodie Friends Friday
Chocolate Strawberry Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 175 g 1 + ½ cups plain flour
- 35 g ⅓ cup icing (powdered) sugar
- pinch salt
- 100 g ⅓ cup + scant 2 tbsp cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp ice cold water
Chocolate Creme Patisserie
- 415 ml 1 + ½ + ¼ cups full fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 5 egg yolks
- 100 g ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 35 g ¼ cup + 1tbsp plain flour
- 35 g ¼ cup + 1tbsp cocoa powder
- 50 g 2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
To Finish
- 50 g 2 oz dark chocolate
- 400 g 14 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 heaped tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
To make the tart case
- Place the flour, icing sugar and salt either in a bowl or a food processor and mix. Add the butter and rub in with your fingers or pulse in the food processor until it resembles sand. Mix in the egg yolk then gradually add the cold water until it forms a soft but not wet dough. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.
- Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to line a 23cm/9in tart tin and no thicker than 5mm. Place the pastry in the tin and gently press it into the corners, do not trim off any overhanging pastry (it helps to stop the pastry shrinking when it is baked).
- Place the pastry case in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line the pastry case with tin foil or greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. You only need a single layer of beans across the centre but try to shore up the edges of the pastry case with beans.
- Bake for about 25 minutes then remove the beans and foil/paper and turn the oven down to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and bake for another 15 minutes until the pastry is golden all over.
- Use a very sharp serrated knife to trim off any overhanging pastry while it is still warm and in the tin. Allow to cool then remove the pastry case from the tin.
To make the creme patisserie
- Place the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan and heat until just boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thickened, then whisk in the flour and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture then return it to the saucepan over a medium/high heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly, until very thick.
- Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth, then pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with clingfilm directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, refrigerate until cold. (If the mixture is lumpy at all then you will need to scrape it through a sieve before refrigerating).
To assemble
- Place the tart case on a serving plate. Melt the 50g of chocolate and brush it all over the inside of the pastry case with a pastry brush, set aside until the chocolate has set (this helps to create a barrier between the pastry and the filling to stop the pastry from going soggy).
- Once the chocolate has solidified, beat the chilled pastry cream until it is smooth and spreadable, then spread it evenly over the inside of the pastry case. Arrange the strawberry slices in concentric circles on top of the creme patisserie.
- Gently heat the apricot jam (either in a small saucepan or in bursts in the microwave) until runny. Pass it through a sieve to remove any pieces of fruit, then brush the strawberry slices with the jam using a pastry brush.
- Keep the tart refrigerated, it is best served shortly after filling.
Dragons And Fairy Dust
How beautiful does that look! Its almost too pretty to eat
hannahhossack
Thank you 🙂
Natalie Browne
This tart is beautiful 🙂
hannahhossack
Thank you 🙂
My Family Ties
That looks incredible! #recipeoftheweek
hannahhossack
Thank you 🙂
Helen at Casa Costello
Just wonderful! Those strawberries look ultra tempting - don't they make fantastic decoration as well as tasting amazing? Thanks for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek once again x
HonestMum (@HonestMummy)
Stunning tart and love the combination of chocolate with strawberries. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
hannahhossack
Thanks Vicki 🙂 x
Chhapan Bhog
this looks incredible.... Looking at the perfection with with the tart is made is truly exceptional.. 🙂 Happy FF 🙂
hannahhossack
Thank you 🙂
My Little Italian Kitchen
Absolutely wonderful!! This tart would look great on display on a good patisserie shop! #tastytuesdays
hannahhossack
Thank you! High praise indeed 🙂
lucyparissi
That looks so pretty – and so incredibly rich. Love that strawberry season is upon us! Thanks for linking with #CookBlogShare
hannahhossack
Thank you! Me too, I've been gorging myself! 🙂
Lola
Hi,
If I want to leave out the chocolate, should I just omit or replace with more of the other ingredients? Thanks.
hannahhossack
Hi Lola, apologies for the slow reply, I've been having some website issues and have been unable to log in until now. If you want to leave out the chocolate then I would replace the cocoa powder with 20g of cornflour and omit the dark chocolate.