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whole glazed strawberry tart

Fresh Strawberry Tart

Sunnyside Cook

Dawn Dobie
Gleaming sweet berries sit atop a crunchy, lemon-scented buttery crust in this rustic Italian take on a fresh strawberry tart.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting and cooling time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • grated zest of one lemon (about 3/4 teaspoon)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter -- cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Topping

  • 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pound fresh strawberries hulled and cut in half

Instructions
 

For the crust:

  • Place flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in bowl of processor. Pulse twice to mix ingredients.
  • Add chilled butter to flour mixture. Pulse 6-8 times, until the butter is the size of coarse crumbs.
  • Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to bowl. Pulse 3-4 times, until crumbs of dough, when pinched, stay together. If needed, add extra lemon juice to reach this stage.
  • Place the dough crumbs on a large square of wax paper and squeeze them into a ball and then flatten into a disc, using the wax paper as an aid. Fold the wax paper over the disc to cover it completely and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Place the disc of dough between two sheets of wax paper that are over 12 inches long. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a circle of approximately 12 inches, turning the wax paper “sandwich” as needed to get the circle as even as possible. (Remember, this is rustic—no need for perfection.)
  • Remove top layer of wax paper and set aside. Roll dough onto rolling pin and then move it onto the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Cover it again with one of the sheets of wax paper and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Place a piece of parchment paper on a heavy baking sheet, rimless if possible.
  • Remove top wax paper from crust. Turn the edges of the dough over 3/4-inch to create a slightly raised rim. Crimp if desired. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden brown.
  • Cool the crust in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Using parchment paper, lift the crust off of the pan and transfer to serving platter. Cool completely.

For topping:

  • Bring strawberry preserves and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to boil in a small saucepan. Allow to bubble away for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
  • Brush all but 2 tablespoons of strawberry mixture onto the center of crust right up to the edge of the rim.
  • Starting in the center, arrange halved berries in concentric circles atop crust.
  • Mix 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice with remaining preserves. Brush this glaze over berries.

Notes

Crust can be made one day ahead. Cover in airtight container or with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
Once berries have been placed on tart, leave at room temperature, but serve within two hours.
Adapted from a recipe by Mimmetta Lo Monte published in Bon Appétit (March 1990)