Fresh Strawberry Tart

4.6
(11)

This free-form glazed strawberry tart in a butter-crust pastry is thickly glossed and beautiful. You can use a tart pan, but going free-form is kind of fun. Be sure to use perfectly ripe, sweet strawberries.

8
8
8
8
8
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Additional Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 10 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
1 12-inch tart

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) ball sweet pastry dough

Sweet Cheese Mixture:

  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

  • 2 tablespoons crème fraîche

  • 2 tablespoons white sugar

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Strawberries:

  • 1 pound fresh ripe strawberries, hulled, halved

Glaze:

  • ¼ cup apricot jam

  • 2 teaspoons water

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Place pastry dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to a round disk about 1/8-inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

  3. Brush outside 2 inches around the edges of circle lightly with water. Tightly curl up a bit of the edge of dough to give it a rounder shape with a slightly thickened edge. If some edges are thicker than others, pinch off excess and add to thinner edges forming a circle with even edges. Roll each edge again just once to make the edges thick enough to crimp. Crimp crust with your floured fingers.

  4. Use a fork to "dock" dough's bottom surface, covering it with tiny holes to prevent dough from bubbling up as it bakes.

  5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.

  6. Place cream cheese, crème fraîche, sugar, egg yolk, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Carefully pour a thin layer of mixture evenly into pastry shell (you may not need all the cheese mixture).

  7. Transfer filled tart to the oven. Bake until cheese layer is set and crust is browned, about 20 minutes. Let tart cool completely to room temperature before adding berries.

  8. Arrange berries cut side down, pointy end out starting with the larger berries around the edges. You can lean strawberries up a bit as your work your way toward the center. Cut some berry halves in half again to fit into any gaps on cheese layer.

  9. Place apricot jam and 2 teaspoons water in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until thin enough to brush. Let cool slightly before brushing generously over all berries and crust. Transfer tart to a serving plate.

    close up view of a Fresh Strawberry Tart on a platter
    Chef John

Chef's Notes

For a homemade crust, use 1/2 of my recipe for Buttercrust Pastry Dough.

To crimp edges of tart shell, flour your hands. Hold your thumb and forefinger about 2 inches apart lightly against the outside edge; push dough from the inside against two fingers to create crimping.

You can substitute 8 ounces fromage blanc for the cream cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

320 Calories
19g Fat
34g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 320
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 297mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 4g 9%
Vitamin C 34mg 38%
Calcium 36mg 3%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 131mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

You’ll Also Love