Summertime is in full swing here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and with that so are evenings spent with family and friends, lounging on patios, sipping beer and wine over tasty meals of BBQ. Anytime I get invited to such a gathering, I always come bearing an item of food, which I take great care and joy in preparing. After a trip to the local Lester’s Farm Market, which grows some of the most delicious produce, I settled on a dessert to make for a family dinner, inspired by the deep red strawberries of summer.
Strawberry Tart
I enjoy making pasties, and have made tart-like desserts before, but never a simple berry and custard tart. A strawberry tart is a classic summer dessert, especially if you can get your hands on perfectly ripe, fresh picked berries.
Being a hot day however, I did not want to spend it kneading pastry dough, so I opted for a very quick, almond meal based crust, which is a take on a gluten-free pie crust from the Paleo blog Elana’s Panty. I modified a few ingredients to suit this particular tart and my taste preferences. As for the custard and strawberry glaze, I wanted to go as traditional as possible, so I used a classic recipe for both, reducing the sugar by half.
Remember your goal with clean eating is 80/20. It is important to have, and enjoy treats, it is all part of enjoying life and maintaining your clean eating lifestyle.
Not only did the tart turn out aesthetically pleasing, it was a hit with the family, and they are a tough crowd to please, as most are fantastic bakers and cooks themselves. Needless to say, I left that evening with several requests for the recipe. Don’t let the ingredients list and directions scare you off, this is an easy, fun to make, and very satisfying, wow, look what I just made tart recipe!
Hope you enjoy!
Crust Ingredients:
3 cups blanched almond meal
½ tsp sea salt
1 egg
2 ½ tbsp softened unsalted butter
1 tbsp raw honey
Crust Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) In a food processor combine almond flour and sea salt, pulse until well incorporated. Add butter, egg and honey. Continue to pulse until dough forms a ball.
3) Press dough evenly into a 12 inch tart pan.
4) Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are slightly golden.
5) Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack.
Custard
Custard Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
3 tbsp cane sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla bean split
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp orange zest
Custard Directions:
1) In a medium saucepan bring the milk, 2 tbsp of sugar, butter, salt and vanilla bean to a boil on medium heat.
2) Remove from heat.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 tbsp of butter. Then whisk in egg yolks until a smooth paste forms.
4) Temper the eggs, by slowly adding in small amounts, the hot milk to the egg/cornstarch mixture. This allows the eggs to come up to temperature without breaking.
5) Once the mixture is warm to touch, pour it back into the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
6) Let boil for 2-3 minutes until starch cooks out of the custard and it become smooth and glossy.
7) Cover custard with plastic wrap and set in freezer for 15 minutes.
8) Once cooled, stir in orange zest, and then spread evenly in tart crust.
Strawberry Glaze
Glaze Ingredients:
4 cups of fresh strawberries, leaves & stems removed, sliced or quartered
½ cup of fresh squeezed orange juice (yield from approximately 2 large oranges)
3 tbsp cane sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
Pinch of sea salt
Glaze Directions:
1) In a medium sauce pan combine 1 cup of strawberries, with orange juice and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2) While whisking vigorously, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture to the strawberries sauce.
3) Add the vanilla, orange zest and salt.
4) Cook about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
5) Remove from heat and add remaining strawberries.
6) Pour glaze over custard.
7) Cover tart and chill for 1 hour.
8) Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Every once in a while it is okay to indulge in that perfect summer treat! ENJOY!
LYL Holistic Expert,
Rachel