Rustic Strawberry Tart Food

RUSTIC BRAIDED STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar to a bowl and beat together with a hand mixer until light and spreadable.
• In a large bowl, toss together the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the strawberries, flour, cornstarch, vanilla extract and salt, and set aside for later use.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Unroll the puff pastry and roll it out to an 11-by-17-inch rectangle (almost the size of a half sheet tray). Place on the prepared sheet tray and spread the cream cheese down the center of the puff pastry using first a rubber spatula, and then your fingers to evenly spread it out. Spoon the strawberries on top of the cream cheese. Use a knife to cut 1 1/2-inch slits on both sides of the filling, coming within 1/2-inch of the filling. Alternately fold each strip of dough over each other to create a braid. Tuck in the ends and brush the top of the tart with egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool for 25 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar to garnish and slice to serve.

RUSTIC STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Combine strawberries with the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice and set aside.
• While the strawberries are marinating, roll out the puff pastry sheet or pie crust on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/8" thick.
• Transfer to lined baking sheet.
• Spoon strawberry mixture into the middle of the pastry sheet, leaving about an inch or two border all around.
• Gently fold the sides of the pastry, a little at a time, up over some of the berries, leaving the fruit in the center exposed.
• Brush top of pastry lightly with water and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes until crust is golden and strawberries are bubbling.
• Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

RUSTIC STRAWBERRY TART AND SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the strawberries to a bowl along with the sugar, flour, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice and toss together until well combined. Set aside while you prepare the crust.
• Lightly flour your work surface so the crust doesn't stick. Unroll the pie crusts and lay one on the other, overlapping about halfway. Use a rolling pin and roll the crusts in the center to join them together and to spread them out slightly. It should be about 19 inches by 11 inches and fit on a sheet pan.
• Use a knife to round the top and bottom edges slightly and along the sides to neaten up the edges; no more than 1/2-inch of dough should be cut away. (Discard the extra dough.) Transfer to a parchment-lined-sheet pan.
• Spoon the strawberry mixture into the center of the dough leaving a 1-inch border around all sides. (Be sure they aren't too mounded so they bake evenly in the oven.) Working carefully, fold edges of the dough up and over the strawberries, pleating them as you go.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon water together. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat only the folded edge of the dough.
• Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake the tart for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the bake to make sure it bakes evenly. While it is baking, heat the apricot preserves in a small pan with a splash of water until warmed through.
• When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven. Brush the strawberries gently with the warmed apricot preserves and cool completely before cutting and serving with the Sweetened Whipped Cream.
• With a whisk, a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and white sugar until it has formed soft peaks.

RUSTIC BERRY TART

Steps:

• TO PREPARE CRUST:.
• Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces.
• Add oil and stir with a fork to blend.
• Mix 1/4 cup water, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or vinegar) in a measuring cup.
• Add just enough of the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork, until the dough clumps together. (Add a little water if the dough seems too dry.)
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times.
• Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and coat with cooking spray.
• TO PREPARE FILLING AND ASSEMBLE TART:.
• Spread almonds in a small baking pan. Bake until light golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Combine whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda) and the toasted almonds in a food processor or blender; process until the almonds are ground.
• Roll the dough into a rough 13- to 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick. Roll it back over the rolling pin, brush off excess flour, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Spread the almond mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around.
• Toss berries with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar (or Splenda) and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a large bowl; spoon over the almond mixture.
• Fold the border up and over the filling, pleating as necessary.
• Blend the reserved egg white and 1 tablespoon water with a fork; brush lightly over the tart rim. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes at 425°F.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Leaving the tart on the parchment (or foil), carefully slide it onto a wire rack. Let cool.
• Shortly before serving, melt jam in a small saucepan over low heat; brush over the berries.
• Cut the tart into wedges and serve.
• MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare crust through Step 1; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• INGREDIENT NOTE: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
• TIP: To separate eggs safely: Use an egg separator, an inexpensive gadget found in cookware stores; separating eggs by passing the yolk back and forth between pieces of eggshell or your hands can expose the eggs to bacteria.

RUSTIC STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Put the butter, flour, 25g polenta, sugar and a pinch of salt into the large bowl of a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Beat 1 of the eggs and add to the mixer and blend again until the pastry starts to clump together. Tip onto your work surface and knead briefly to bring the pastry together into a smooth ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Dust your work surface with a little polenta and flour, then roll out the pastry into a circle roughly 35cm in diameter. line a large baking sheet with parchment and lay the pastry on top. Put the strawberries in a bowl and toss through the cornflour and sugar. Sprinkle the pastry with 1 tbsp polenta, then arrange the strawberries on top, leaving a border about 3cm clear around the edge.
• Beat the remaining egg and sweep over the pastry edge with a brush. Fold the pastry over the strawberries, pinching to create a rough border, and leaving the centre exposed. Brush the edge with more egg. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden brown and crisp. Brush the strawberries with the jam. leave to cool for 15 mins before serving with clotted cream, if you like.