Glazed strawberry tart

(Votes: 2)

Make this strawberry tart during the natural strawberry season, when the fruit is luscious and sweet. It's easy to make and melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Delightful enjoyed on the patio with a glass of sparkling wine!

Strawberry tarts are best made during the strawberry season, when the fruit is luscious and sweet - why not gather fresh from one of the Surrey "pick your own" farms? Locally-grown strawberries are often available from as early as May, but outdoor grown ones are later, so you may have to wait until June. Once you get your hands on them, roll up your sleeves, grab your rolling pin and enjoy baking this delightful dessert. You can always cheat and use ready made shortcrust pastry if you really are very pressed for time.

Ingredients

For the pastry:
250 g plain flour
125 g butter, diced and softened
75 g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
For the filling:
150 ml double cream
240 g mascarpone
4 tbsp honey
175 g strawberries, or thereabouts, halved or sliced

Preparation

Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Blend for a few seconds, then add half the beaten egg, and continue mixing. Add a little more egg if the mixture appears dry – it should come together to form a ball.
Flatten the dough until it is about 3cm thick. Wrap in cling film, and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C/gas 4.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and place between 2 sheets of cling film. Roll to around 1/4 cm or a little thinner. This is a “melt in the mouth” tart and so you want your pastry to be delicate.
Remove the top layer of cling film and put the pastry upside down (cling-film side facing up) into a 28cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Press the pastry into the edges. Trim as needed so it’s neat at the edge of the tin. You need to cool it down again now so put back in the fridge, with the clingfilm still on, or even better a freezer, for around 10-15 minutes.
Remove the cling film bake blind (to do this, simply line the pastry with greaseproof paper and then fill with baking beans or dried pulses). Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little beaten egg and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove and set pastry aside.
Whisk the cream with the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons honey in a bowl, until it holds its shape nicely.
Take the pastry case out of the tin and place on your serving plate. Spread the mascarpone mixture on the base of the cooled pastry case and arrange the strawberries on top.
Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons honey and brush over the top to glaze.