Farm Fresh Strawberry Tarts, of buttery rich pastry, cream or coconut milk custard and lots of fresh strawberries, are a delicious way to welcome spring!
Farm Fresh Strawberries – The Gift Of Spring
When the earth has been frozen and asleep for winter, strawberry season seems the first fruit to announce that the lazy days of summer to come.
I live just outside the nation’s capital, tucked inside farm and horse country, between city life and coastal living.
Just up the road from me is my favorite strawberry patch. During the long sleepy months of winter, these strawberry patches are covered and left to rest.
Farm Life
When the black tarps are removed from the strawberry plants, of nearby farms, I know spring is soon on its way.
Afterwards, locals look forward to filling their baskets with as many strawberries as they are able to pick.
Consequently, a multitude of recipes, created for this ruby red fresh fruit, will follow.
Dare I say, I have indulged in many a recipe creation, inspired by these luscious fruits of spring.
What Is Needed For A Farm To Table Fruit Tart?
Basically, we need fresh fruits, fruits we can often shop for all year in order to adorn a lovely tart recipe.
However, there is a wholesomeness many of us glean from taking a drive out to a local farmer’s market, or ‘pick your own’ nearby farm.
Besides the freshness of the fruit, it reminds us of the laborious life a farmer endures in order to provide such delicacies to our table.
While a fresh strawberry tart is what I’m after in spring, when autumn rolls around and strawberries are finished for the year, figs are what I’m after, and so I began to grow my own. But that is a fruit story for another time.
A Strawberry Tart First Needs A Tart Crust
Sometimes a puff pastry, in a pinch, can be used but a basic butter and flour pie dough, or a nut pastry, formed into a tart crust, are best.
Inside of the pastry is a creamy custard. The custard can be baked inside of the crust, or a cooked custard that is later added to a crust you would blind bake.
I prefer to bake the custard right inside of the crust; I find it easier.
What Is A Tart Pan?
Tart pans are a metal baking pan with shallow sides and often a removable bottom, making them easy to remove once baked.
While there are many tart pans available, I prefer Mason jar lids as a mini-tart pan for a variety of reasons:
- Inexpensive and varied in size
- Designed for high heat and reusable
- Removable bottoms make for easy individual servings
Strawberry Tart Custards
Since there are several types of custards that can be used for easy strawberry tarts, we have choices:
- Quick and easy sweetened condensed milk with eggs
- Cream cheese, cheesecake type custards
- Orange Blossom custards, which enhance the strawberry flavor
- Lemon Curd custard, made with mascarpone cheese to bring a little tartness to the strawberry
I have chosen a coconut cream, egg custard, because it is fast and easy, and there are less worries about dairy when serving at a gathering.
How To Make Farm Fresh Strawberry Tarts
Besides the pastry, which is easy whisked together, rolled and cut to press into the tart pans, the rest goes very quickly.
Easily whisked by hand, is the custard, that is poured into the pastry lined tart pans, and baked.
Once the tarts are cool, the sweet strawberries are sliced to lay on top and a strawberry glaze is brushed over the strawberries.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Eggs
- Whole milk Cream or Coconut milk
- Vanilla Extract or a liquor of your choice
- Strawberries
- Strawberry jam
- Confectioner’s sugar or shredded coconut
Equipment Needed
- Food processor or hand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Mason Jar Lids or small tart pans
- Cookie or biscuit cutter to size the dough for tart pans
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Baking sheet pan
- Basting brush
- Oven
FARM FRESH STRAWBERRY TARTS
Equipment
- 12 Mason jar lids or tart tins
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet pan
- Mixing bowl and whisk
Ingredients
- 8 oz Butter cold unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cup All purpose flour more for dusting
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg fork whipped
- 2 cups Whole milk, heavy cream or full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 3 Eggs room temperature
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Extract or liquor
- 2 dozen Whole Strawberries about 1 1/2 strawberry per tart
- 1/2 cup Strawberry jam
- 1 tbsp Rum or liquor
- 2 tbsp Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to medium heat of 350
- To prepare the tart shell place the butter and dry ingredients into a food processor, blender or with an electric mixer and give it a whirl to combine the ingredients. Slowly whisk in the egg and water until the pastry comes together into a ball. The right amount of texture can be obtained by adding a sprinkle more or either flour or water, until a soft ball forms.
- On a floured surface, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch. Shape and fit the crust into the tart pans.
- For a creamy filling, whisk the cream (of choice), sugar, eggs, salt and extract in a medium bowl until creamy and light. Pour evenly into prepared tart shells, about halfway up the sides.
- Bake about 20 – 30 minutes until pastry is golden brown and custard is firm. Cool on a wire rack.
- Slice the strawberries very thin and place in the center of each pastry, keeping the shape of the strawberry. Fan the thin slices across the top of the cooled custard. Mix strawberry jam and rum together and brush a little across the tops of the strawberries. A dusting of powdered sugar can be added just before serving.
Video
Notes
- While a glaze is traditionally brushed on top of the strawberry tarts, a beautiful fresh, plump ‘sweet’ strawberry needs nothing on top because it is already beautiful and sweet enough to serve just like that!
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
What an over the top elegant yummy tart! I love these.. they look pretty easy to make too ! 🙂
What a wonderful treat
Yummy tart.
These tarts look wonderful, Robin! And that creamy coconut… Yum!
Love the recipe and your video! I have canning jar lids and rings here all the time, going to try this recipe soon. Strawberries are in season now in SC so it’s the perfect time.
Thank you Mary. Those lids are my new favorite toy!!
Makes me think of my Mama! She loved everything and anything with strawberries!
Totally clever w/the canning jar lids! Only my Miss Pea can do a cool ‘hack’ like this!! And, the fruit tarts…well, that goes w/o saying!! Deeeeeelish! xo
I adore these!! They are the perfect summertime dessert!
You are so clever to use mason jar lids to make these tarts, Robin! They look unbelievably good.
Great idea using the lids. Great dessert too.
Reblogged this on mamabatesmotel.
These are delicious and the temptation is to eat too many!
Put thought of calories aside; one won’t hurt!