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

Crisp shortcrust pastry filled with chocolate creme patisserie and juicy strawberries. Serves 8.

Author Domestic Gothess

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

1. You will need a 23cm/9in loose bottomed tart tin and some baking beans (or dried rice/beans)

I am sharing this with Totally Talented Tuesdays, Create Link Inspire, Foodie Fridiy, Fiesta Friday and Foodie Friends Friday