Super Simple Strawberry Tart

Of all the spring and summer fruit, I find that strawberries need the least amount of adornment; especially this time of year, when the berries at the farmer's market are juicy, ripe, and red all of the way through. I prefer to eat them fresh or sliced up and tossed with just a sprinkle sugar. I think strawberries lose something when cooked so when I want to have them for dessert, I don't bake them into pie or cake, but I love to use them fresh. This tart is a perfect example of a super fresh and super easy strawberry dessert.

This is maybe the easiest tart I've ever made, the only thing that requires effort is making a batch of pie dough and I'm guessing most of you guys have done that before. Heck, you might even have a batch in your freezer, just waiting to be thawed and rolled out. If that's the case, you can make this impressive treat in about 45 minutes. Make sure you assemble the tart right before you want to eat it. No one likes a soggy tart.

Happy Solstice, all!

Super Simple Strawberry Tart
serves 8-10

The combination of buttery crust and sweetened mascarpone would be delicious with just about any fruit you can imagine: blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines or plums would all be totally delicious. I would caution against blueberries, only because they might roll right off of the crust. Assemble the tart right before you serve it, to prevent sogginess.

one recipe of your favorite single crust pie dough (all purpose version, rye version)
1 egg for egg wash
1 pound strawberries
8 ounces mascarpone
3 tablespoons sugar
small handful organic rose petals (optional)

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Roll out the pie crust to an oval, 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Trim any rough edges and move the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Dock the crust with a fork to prevent the dough from puffing up too much and brush the dough with a beaten egg. Bake the dough until it is deep, deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool the pastry completely.

While the pastry is cooling, combine the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Spread the mascarpone over the cooled pastry, top with sliced strawberries arranged in a decorative pattern. If you are using the rose petals, gently tuck them between the strawberries. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, slice and serve immediately.

 

Roasted Strawberry and Mascarpone Ice Cream

Phew! It has been a wild couple of weeks over here and I am just coming up for breath. Highlights include: a few days on my first TV set, a couple of trips out of town, shooting for some new clients (!), a trip to the impound lot (doh!), and some of spring's first (and finest) berries. It seems like it is shaping up to be a great year for strawberries around these parts. I only say so because I found quarts of them for a very reasonable price at the Greenmarket last week. I have tentative plans for a strawberry picking adventure in the next few days, which means you should keep your eyes peeled for lots and lots of strawberry recipes around these parts. Have a great weekend everyone, eat some ice cream if you can swing it!

Roasted Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream
adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
yield about 1 quart
I've made quite a few of Jeni's ice creams and they have all been killer. The recipe is a bit complicated and you will have to dirty quite a few dishes to put it together, but don't let that hold you back. You will be rewarded with smooth, creamy ice cream packed full of strawberry flavor.

For the Roasted Strawberries

1 pint strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375º

Stem and slice the strawberries, then combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in an 8'' baking pan. Roast for 8-10 minutes or until the strawberries are just softened and releasing their juices. Let the berries cool for a few minutes, then puree them in a blender or food processor. Measure 1/2 cup of puree that will be used in the ice cream and reserve the rest for another use.

For the Ice Cream Base

1 1/2 cups  plus 2 Tablespoons whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1. Mix the 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone and salt until smooth.
2. Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan (at least 4 quarts). Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
3. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk the hot mixture into the mascarpone and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in the reserved strawberry puree and buttermilk. Chill the mixture over an ice bath (or in the refrigerator for a few hours) until completely cold.
5. Pour the base into the canister and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon the mixture into a storage container and dollop a few tablespoons of the reserved roasted blueberry puree on top. Gently swirl it into the base, cover the container with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Hand Pies and Pie Crust "Cookies"

I was in the midst of a serious bout with self doubt when I snapped this quick photo. I took just the one frame in case I wanted to share these little pies, right before I ran out the door to meet up with some of my favorite bloggers. There was a lot of hand wringing and ho-humming going on in Apt 2B as I finished up my treats that day and I apparently couldn't seem to focus myself or my camera. Were the hand pies I made as good as I hoped they would be? Were they flaky enough, sweet enough, too sweet, was the glaze too much, can I think of anything else to fret about before I leave the house? Was I just being a Nervous Nellie because I was about to walk into a room full of people I didn't "know"? Yes.



I was silly to doubt the power of a classic combination like rhubarb and strawberries. Especially when they are tucked into Brandi's magical pastry crust (that I have now adopted) with a healthy dose of citrus zest and a little fresh ginger for zip. So, I came to my senses, wrapped them up and hopped on a train to Long Island City where I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with some super ladies over delicious food and beverages at Veronica's gorgeous rooftop oasis. The evening was full of great conversation and food and it was so nice to meet Kasey, Kathryn, Sarah, Elizabeth, Kimberley, Nicole, Diana, Laura, Kristin, Barb and Cathy in person. Thanks for a great evening, gals! Hope you enjoyed the pies.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Hand Pies
yield, 15-18 3'' pies
I have to admit, these were kind of a pain in the ass to make, but they ended up being a big hit. So make sure you make them for some folks who will appreciate your hard work.

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from the talented Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" (among others) and she is not messing around, her recipes are killer. For her crust, Brandi uses a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter. Delightful!

18 ounces pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces cold, unsalted butter
6-8 ounces ice water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar


1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of nickels.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, get this, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the dough down and away from you. Congratulations, you have just created a sheet of butter which is going to turn delicious flaky crust. Scrape the sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl, press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I have warm hands, so I always chill my dough overnight before I use it.

If this sounds confusing, check out the link above for a really helpful photo tutorial.

For the Filling

4 ounces strawberries, cut into 1/4''-1/3'' cubes
5 ounces rhubarb, cut into 1/3'' cubes
1/2  ounce butter
2 ounces sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 ounce flour
pinch salt

1. In a medium skillet, combine the rhubarb, butter, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and the vanilla bean pod. Cook over medium low heat until the rhubarb begins to release it's juices, then turn the heat up to medium high. Cook the rhubarb until it is tender, but not falling apart about 5 minutes. Pour the rhubarb mixture along with it's juices to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
2. When the rhubarb is cool, remove the vanilla bean pod from the mixture. Combine the cooked rhubarb with the strawberries, zests, ginger, salt and flour. Stir gently to combine.

To Assemble and Bake

Pie Crust
Rhubarb and Strawberry Filling
Granulated Sugar for Sprinkling
1 egg for egg wash
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400º

1. Remove one disk of dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rough circle about 1/4'' thick. Using a 3'' biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut the dough into as many rounds as you can. You should be able to get about 15 and each one will become a mini pie. Transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a few inches in between. Place the sheets in the fridge or freezer while you roll out the other half of the dough, reserve scraps. Roll and cut the other half of the dough.
2. Remove the cut circles from the refrigerator and brush the surfaces with egg wash. Top each circle with about 1 Tablespoon of the filling mixture, then top with one of the freshly rolled circles. If your filling seems really liquidy, focus on filling the pies with the solid fruit. If you have too much juice in the filling, your pies will be a mess and I speak from experience here. Carefully crimp the edges with a fork to seal completely and pop the pies back into the fridge or freezer for 30min to set.
3. Just before you are ready to bake the pies, brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle them with a bit of granulated sugar and poke a hole or two in the top of each pie for ventilation. Slide the sheets into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown. Don't under bake your pie crust people, especially when it is filled with juicy fruit! Cool slightly and glaze if desired. See below for an idea of what to do with your pastry scraps.

For the Glaze

8 ounces confectioner's sugar, sifted
juice from 1/2 an orange
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable, you may need to add a little more juice or confectioner's sugar for the perfect consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pies and let sit, undisturbed for 30 minutes to let the glaze harden slightly.

Pie Crust "Cookies"

Don't forget about your pie crust scraps! My mom used to bake up her pie crust scraps for me and my brother so we wouldn't whine about not being able to dig into whatever she was making before it was dessert time.

Take your reserved scraps, put them on a baking sheet, brush them with egg wash (or milk or water in a pinch), sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake until deep golden brown and crisp. They are a perfect little snack with tea or coffee and they are great with a bit of ice cream. Do it!

Strawberry Lime Tart with Apricot Glaze

Last Friday morning, news hit the wire that strawberries and rhubarb had been spotted at the Union Square Greenmarket. New Yorkers swooped in and scooped up those sweet signs of Spring with the kind of fan fervor usually reserved for pop musicians and I think they were all gone by noon. I have to admit, I didn't drop everything to get to the market that day, but I cheered from the sidelines and hearing about it sure got my wheels turning about all of the good things to come.



I have a bit of a ritual when it comes to enjoying my first local berries. I will eat the first of them fresh and unadorned, probably before I even get home. Then, I'll slice them up for a simple tart like this one, maybe with vanilla bean pastry cream in lieu of the lime, and slowly I'll start baking them into scones and churning them into ice cream. When they are at their peak I am going to convince someone to drive upstate with me to pick strawberries for my favorite jam. Who wants to come with?

Creamy Lime Tart with Strawberries

I have to admit, I made this tart a couple of weeks ago and the strawberries I used for were from California, patience is not one of my virtues. In my defense,  they were organic and still pretty flavorful after their trip across the country. The addition of a light coating of apricot jam made them all the better.

For the Crust

1 cup almond meal
1 cup spelt flour
5 Tablespoon melted butter
4 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325º

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Press the crust into a 9'' or 10'' removable bottom tart pan, making sure it goes all of the way up the sides of the pan.
2. Slide into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 15min. While the crust is baking, prepare the lime filling

For the Lime Filling
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

4 egg yolks
4 teaspoon lime zest

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from 3-4 limes)

1, 14 oz can evaporated milk

1. Whisk zest and egg yolks together until the yolks are light in color and the zest has tinted the mixture light green, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the juice and evaporated milk and set aside to thicken while the crust bakes and cools, about 20 min.
2. Pour the thickened mixture into the baked and cooled tart shell, slide back into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the filling is set, but still wiggly in the center. Note: If you use a 10'' tart pan the lime cream won't fill the shell all of the way, no big deal, you'll just have more room for the strawberries.
3. Remove from the oven and let the tart cool to room temperature then place it in the fridge for a few hours to chill completely before finishing with the strawberries.

To Finish the Tart

1 pint of the sweetest strawberries you can find, sliced in 1/8'' slices (these don't have to be perfect)
4T of apricot or any other light colored fruit preserves, warmed and blended until smooth. This will become a glaze for the top of the tart. I used the last of my Apricot Jam with Saffron and Rose and it was superb.
1c heavy cream whipped to soft peaks to serve (optional)

When the tart has chilled completely, layer the sliced strawberries on top of the tart in a decorative pattern, I like concentric circles. Then gently brush the top of the strawberries with the warmed jam.
Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve, then slice it up and top it with a snowy white dollop of whipped cream.