Strawberry tart heart love!

When is it a perfect time for strawberry tart? Always but strawberry pie – or tart – is truly scrumptious in the summer when strawberries are sweet, ripe and plentiful.

Recipe contributed by British chef Lydia Brownlow: Lydia runs cooking workshops in the English countryside for parents and children and has contributed recipe posts to The Daily Beast. Previously she created canapés for her London catering company which was hired for society parties as well as publishing, devising and and writing recipes for Good Housekeeping Magazine.

I had a wonderful time making this strawberry pie with my children. And, strangely enough, there were no leftovers after I served it at a big family meal.

The cream cheese filling was light but was a perfect marriage with the fresh berries.

Kids love strawberry tart so what better way than making it in the shape of a heart. Combined with crisp pastry and the sweet creamy filling, this fruit tart is fabulous and delicious.

Children can have great fun too making the pastry too. My kids baked a couple of pastry cookies with the leftover dough and then added a dollop of the cream cheese filling and a strawberry on top for a bonus tea time treat.

This recipe given to me by a friend and chef Lydia Brownlow makes one large tart or eight individual fruit or berry tartlets (or pies if you prefer).

STRAWBERRY TART WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 3/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 8 oz cream cheese (approx 228 g)
• 2 tablespoons heavy / double cream
• 1-2 pint strawberries (hulled) – approx 350 grams per pint
• 2 tablespoons redcurrant or strawberry jelly / jam

Hints and tips for strawberry tart.

Roll the pastry out as thinly as possible for the lightest, crispest pastry.

The egg wash gives the pastry a waterproof coating, this means you can fill the tart a couple of hours before eating and the pastry will stay crisp and you won’t land up with a soggy mess.

Or you can brush the cooked pastry with melted chocolate instead, leave the chocolate to cool and set and it makes a waterproof coating!

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor bowl, place the flour, salt, 1 1/8 sticks butter and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. (Put remaining butter and sugar aside). Pulse together until the mixture makes crumbs. Then add 3/4 of the beaten egg and pulse until the mixture comes together in a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the cream cheese and cream. Stir together until smooth. Cover and chill.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface. Line a 10″ loose-bottomed, fluted tart pan with the pastry. Patch up any cracks or holes with spare pastry. Prick the base with a fork and line with foil and baking beans.

Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and cook for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg and return to the oven for a couple of minutes to cook the egg, then set aside to cool.

To assemble the strawberry tart, remove the cooled pastry case from the tin and place on a large plate. Spoon over the cream cheese mixture to give an even covering. Pile up with strawberries.

Place the jelly in a small pot with 2 tablespoons water, bring to the boil and bubble until the jelly has melted. Spoon or brush over the strawberries and serve the strawberry tart.

My strawberry tart is cockney slang for my heart

I chose a heart shaped, fluted and loose bottomed tart pan to make our strawberry dessert. Strawberry tart in Cockney slang means heart. In Cockney rhyming slang, which originated in the East End of London, you would say ‘my strawberry tart’ instead of ‘my heart.’ Kids also love heart shaped tarts.

You can also add a chocolate layer by brushing the cooked pastry with melted chocolate. Once it’s cooled add on top the cream cheese filling and strawberries.

Other strawberry recipes which are dreamily delicious are my Rose and Strawberry Cake, chocolate covered strawberries as well as meringue nests filled with strawberry ice cream. An, of couse, you can make a delightful mix with an Eton Mess.

This strawberry tart with a cream cheese filling is also delicious made with raspberries, peaches or nectarines.