Strawberry tart (tart aux fraises)

Ingredients

• plain flour, for dusting
• 400 g sweet pastry
• 300 ml crème fraîche
• 10 ml Cointreau
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 punnet strawberries, washed, halved
• 4 tbsp smooth apricot jam
• 3 tbsp peeled pistachio nuts, cut into small pieces, optional

You need a 25 cm lift-out flan tin.

Resting time 1 hour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Dust the bench with plain flour and roll out the pastry into a large rectangle (about 4 mm –thick) and use to line the base and sides of a 10 cm x 34 cm rectangular tart tin with removable base. Trim the sides with a small sharp knife. Line the pastry with foil, then fill with pastry weights to stop the pastry from shrinking during cooking. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until just golden and dry.

Beat the crème fraéche with the Cointreau and milk until almost firm. Add the icing sugar and mix well. (This is called a Chantilly cream.)

Spread the Chantilly cream over the cooled pastry shell.  Top gently with strawberry halves and brush the berries lightly with apricot jam. Sprinkle pistachio nuts, if using, around the edge of the tart, and refrigerate until ready to slice and serve.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O'Brien. Food preparation by Tina McLeish.

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