Strawberry & Custard Tart

Ingredients

Sweet Short Pastry
170g Lewis Road Creamery butter, softened
85g caster sugar
1 small egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ lemon, zested
260g plain flour

Crème Patissiere (Custard)
500g full cream milk
50g cream
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
40g cornflour
2 tbsp Lewis Road Creamery butter
2 tubs fresh strawberries

Glaze
¼ cup apricot jam
1 tbsp boiling water

Method

• 1

  For the pastry cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

• 2

  Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and mix to combine.

• 3

  By hand, fold in the flour and mix until it just comes together. Do not overmix.

• 4

  Tip onto a lightly floured surface and form a disc.

• 5

  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• 6

  Starting the tart, in a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat, add the milk, cream, caster sugar and vanilla and bring to the boil.

• 7

  In another bowl, add the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour and whisk to mix.

• 8

  Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture whisking all the time.

• 9

  Carefully pour back into the saucepan and return to a lower heat.

• 10

  Continue to whisk all the time until the mixture thickens.

• 11

  Finally, add the butter and whisk until combined.

• 12

  If there are any lumps then pass through a sieve or otherwise put the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool.

• 13

  Cover with a piece of baking paper to prevent a skin forming while it is cooling.

• 14

  Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a 23cm tart tin. Once the pastry is rested, lay a large piece of baking paper on your work surface and dust lightly with flour.

• 15

  Turn out the pastry and roll to ¼ inch thick.Line the tart tin with the pastry taking care to gently press into the base and sides of the tin.

• 16

  Using a sharp knife, cut away the excess pastry around the edge and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.

• 17

  Place it back into the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.

• 18

  Once rested, line the pastry shell with baking paper and fill with the baking beans.

• 19

  Place it in the oven and ‘bake blind’ for 15 minutes.Carefully remove the baking beans and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

• 20

  Remove from the oven and cool before constructing the tart.

• 21

  To assemble, take the cooled pastry tart case and fill with the cooled custard smoothing the top surface with a palette knife.

• 22

  Slice the strawberries length ways into 3 to 4 slices and arrange in a circular manner on the top of the tart until it is completely covered.

• 23

  For the glaze, mix the jam and boiling water together then pass it through a sieve to remove any bits of fruit.

• 24

  Using a pastry brush, glaze the strawberries and garnish with mint leaves.

• 25

  Serves 8 - 10.