strawberries + cream tart

This is why I go berry picking.

Every year around this time, I pack up the boys and head out to Long Island’s North Fork to pick fresh strawberries. Once you’ve tasted a warm, sun-kissed berry it’s hard to go back to anything store bought. I think I get more excited than the kids do. We pick to our heart’s content (read: until the boys meltdown) and haul our bodyweight’s worth of berries back to the car. It’s quite the event.

Needless to say, it’s worth the hours drive and any pint size tantrums that may occur. Little boys are wild.

On the drive home, I dream about what I’m going to make with my freshly picked berries. Jam is definitely up there on the list, but there’s nothing like the taste of a silky smooth strawberries + cream tart. The filling is reminiscent of a cream puff, or an eclair, nestled into a homemade graham cracker crust. It’s topped with oodles of strawberries, usually the littlest ones I can find (they’re so sweet!) I love the simplicity of this dessert and see no better way to honor a beautiful, seasonal strawberry.

This recipe is made up of 3 components; graham cracker crust, pastry cream, and whipped cream. I highly recommend making all 3 in advance. That’s what I do. I process a giant batch of graham cracker crumbs and scoop out whatever I need for my recipes. Both the pastry cream and whipped cream can be made up to 3 days in advance. With all of that out of the way, you now have the time to drive to the end of the earth to harvest your very own berries. It’s worth the gas mileage…

There’s one more thing that’s worth mentioning here~ the first time I made this tart, cutting it into slices never seemed to hold up. Although it tasted good, the filling oozed out onto the plate like a glob and looked like a hot mess. What was one to do? The secret is to ‘stabilize’ the filling with gelatin. A little bit of powdered gelatin mixed into your whipped cream will set your filling like magic. Your slices will remain perfectly intact. This also allows you to make whipped cream in advance without it becoming watery. Who knew?

Tips:

• If you can’t find small strawberries, simply cut larger ones into thin slices. Arrange onto your tart and brush with warm apricot jam (with a splash of water) to seal in their juices. This will prevent your strawberries from leaking onto the filling. 
• I’ve included 2 variations of pastry cream in the recipe below; the first is lighter and not as rich as the second. Both are excellent. It’s a matter of personal taste and what ingredients you have on hand.
• To maximize freshness, store un-washed strawberries in an air-tight container lined with a paper towel. Top with another paper towel and keep in the fridge (the paper towels help to absorb any extra moisture) Only wash your berries right before using. 

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