Strawberry tart with crema pasticcera

This strawberry custard tart is perhaps best known by Italians as one of the many tiny cakes to enjoy with coffee, but there’s nothing to stop you enjoying them on a larger scale. 

Ingredients

You will need a 23cm-25cm tart tin, ideally one with a loose bottom.

Prep 10 min

Chill 1 hr+

Cook 40 min

Serves 8

For the pastry

110g cold butter, diced

240g plain flour

80g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting, if you like

1 pinch salt

1 large egg plus 1 extra yolk

For the crema pasticcera

4 egg yolks

75g caster sugar

30g plain flour

500ml whole milk

Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

400g strawberries

Method

Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles crumbs. Add the icing sugar, salt, the egg and extra yolk, and bring everything together into a ball. Cover and chill for at least an hour.

Working on a piece of baking paper, roll the dough into a thin circle a centimetre larger than the tin. Use a rolling pin to lift the circle into the tin and press down and into sides, but leave the overhang (you can cut this away later). If you have time, chill again. Prick the base and, if you want, add a circle of parchment and baking beans. Blind bake at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 25 minutes, or until baked through and deep golden. Remove from the oven and, while still warm, trim away the overhang. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-based pan, beat the yolks and sugar with a balloon or electric whisk, until pale, fluffy and doubled in size. Add the flour gradually, whisking constantly.

In another pan, warm the milk and lemon zest until almost (but not quite) boiling, then pull from heat and add, whisking, to the egg mixture.

Return the pan to a medium heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mix is thick enough to roll slowly from the back of the spoon.

Scrape the still warm crema pasticcera into the tart case and smooth the top with a knife you have dipped in hot water. Leave to cool, then decorate with strawberries, either sliced or quartered, in a neat or casual way. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if you like.