Glazed Strawberry Tart
Makes one 9- or 10-inch tart
If there is one dessert that defines strawberry season, this is it. A delicious play of a crisp-sugar-cookie tart crust and juicy glazed strawberries makes this a winner every strawberry season.
1 cup sugar, divided
½ cup butter, room temperature
11/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
2 tablespoons half-and-half
At least 3 quarts of whole, stemmed strawberries
1 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus 1 teaspoon
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipping cream
½ cup coarsely chopped strawberries
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, cream together 1/3 cup of sugar and butter until light. Beat in flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and half-and-half until mixture is moist.
2. Press the dough into a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, making sure to also press the dough up the sides. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until crust is golden. Cool to room temperature.
3. When ready to fill, carefully remove the bottom of the tart shell and place the tart with its base on a serving dish. Line the tart shell with whole, stemmed and dry strawberries, keeping them upright and choosing the same size berries. Slice 8–10 strawberries in half horizontally and fill in the gaps between the whole berries, keeping them upright. Set aside.
4. Chop 1 cup of the remaining whole strawberries and place in a small pan; add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and press on the strawberries to release their juice. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the pulp to extract the juice. Discard the pulp. You should have about 1 cup of strawberry liquid. Pour the liquid back into the pan.
5. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/3 cup of sugar.
6. Off the heat, add the cornstarch and sugar mixture to the strawberry liquid. Return to the heat and bring to boil while stirring. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly until the color changes from light red to deep wine red and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat, stir in a pinch of salt and the almond extract.
7. Using a silicon pastry brush, dab the glaze over the strawberries in the tart, allowing the glaze to fall in between the strawberries. Refrigerate for several hours.
8. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water together until smooth. Add the cream and 1/3 cup of sugar, and whip until thick. Whip in the chopped strawberries.
9. When ready to serve, serve the strawberry cream with the tart.
