Welcome to issue #15 of Susanality, a free weekly newsletter. Thanks for being here! If you’re loving this newsletter, please consider a paid subscription. Having your support would mean a lot to me, as I continue to work hard to bring you fresh content on a weekly basis with additional posts and recipes going out to paid subscribers at least twice a month. Thanks again!
Last week I was trying to convince you to like soggy sandwiches. Did you? This week I am telling you that a tart should NEVER be soggy. Especially not a strawberry tart.
Have you noticed that it’s strawberry season? The best time of year? It only lasts about a month, and I take full advantage! I drink them in smoothies, bake them into galettes, crumbles, scones and cakes. Or I just eat them, standing over the sink to catch the bright red juice that might otherwise drip down my chin and onto the front of my shirt.
Did you know I wrote a whole book(let) of strawberry recipes? It was part of the Short Stack Editions series that I was so happy to be a part of. Each little book focused on a single ingredient, and since mine was only Volume 3, I had my pick of subjects.
I’m well aware that one can buy “strawberries” all year round. But those can be unripe cotton balls, crunchy and white. They bear little resemblance to what you can get RIGHT NOW. Run, don’t walk to your local farmer’s market or farm stand and get some that are still warm from the sun and have never seen the inside of a refrigerator.
I have a soft spot in my heart for strawberry tarts, and I tend to like them with fresh strawberries rather than baked ones — though those can be wonderful too. When berries are this juicy and ripe, a tart needs only a delicate crackly crust and a pillow of creamy filling as polite but delicious supporting players. The strawberries are the stars.
This week’s recipe is for a kind of do-it-yourself tart. A tart kit, if you will, one whose components can be easily made ahead of time, and even carted off to a picnic or your friend’s house for last minute assembly — followed by immediate eating. It’s very simple: individual delicate short-crust tart shells, a creamy and tangy filling, and those glorious berries macerated in a bit of sugar until they become juicy, creating their own perfumed sauce. Put these three together, and you will be in strawberry heaven.
By the time you get to that last bite of pastry, it will be just the right amount of soggy.
Looking for more ways to enjoy strawberries? I’ll be sending out another recipe on Sunday morning just for my paid subscribers!
PS - I wanted to remind you that all of the recipes in my newsletters live permanently here. You can also scroll through public recipes on my site or keep up with me on Instagram. Or better yet, you can support me by ordering my book, Open Kitchen.
Strawberry Tarts with Goat Cheese Filling
Click here for a printable version
Serves 6
You can use any individual tartlet mold, but I especially like French “flan rings” which most people use as “tart rings”. They are a little trickier to work with, since they have no bottom (they look like bracelets) but I like the modern lines and the large capacity of the shells they create as opposed to the fluted kind. You line them as you would any tartlet shell, and then use a large spatula to transfer them to the baking sheet, which should be a nice flat one. A warped one won’t work as well. Or, if you’re daring, like me, just pick them up and move them quickly. If the dough is still cold, this works too. I find it works best to line the baking sheet with a silicone baking mat if you have one, rather than parchment. The extra insulation is helpful to keep the bottom from browning too much. If you don’t have a mat, just double the sheet pan, which will accomplish the same thing. That said, if you want to use a large tart shell, just use the dough to line a 9 or 10 inch pan. Just make sure to fill it just before serving, because it won’t last long once filled.
For the tart shells:
1½ cups/192 g all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
⅓ cup/34 g confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (½ cup)/113 g cold butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
For the filling:
4 ounces soft, mild goat cheese
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/47 g confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
8 ounces crème fraîche
4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced in half, quartered if large (about 1 pound whole)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Aperol (optional)
Make the tart shells: In a food processor, pulse the flour, confectioners’ sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse to combine until the butter is in small pea-sized pieces. With the food processor running, slowly add the egg yolks through the feed tube. Stop the machine just as the dough begins to come together. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it once or twice to make sure it is well mixed. Wrap the dough in plastic, flatten it into a disk and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Make the filling: Heat the oven to 375°. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the goat cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Add the crème fraîche and gently mix at low speed until just combined (do not mix this in a food processor as it will curdle). Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Divide the dough into four pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a circle that is about ⅛ inch thick and slightly larger than the tart rings you are using (mine were 4 inches), keeping the other pieces chilled in the fridge while you work. Fit the dough into the tart ring, allowing the excess to hang over. Roll over the top of the tart ring with a rolling pin to remove the excess dough. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough, then reroll scraps as needed to fill all 6 rings. Prick the dough all over with a fork, transfer the lined tart rings to the prepared baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until firm.
Line each tart shell with a piece of greased foil, fill with dry beans or pie weights and bake on the center rack for 15-17 minutes, or until golden at the edges. Remove the foil and continue to bake, uncovered, until evenly golden, 3-4 minutes. Cool completely. (You can make the tart shells up to 2 days ahead.)
Mix the strawberries, sugar and Aperol together in a large bowl and set aside to macerate for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries look juicy, tossing occasionally.
To assemble: Divide the cream and berries among the tart shells, starting with a layer of cream and finishing with the berries. Serve immediately.
I assume I can make this as one large tart, instead of a bunch of small ones (I don’t have smaller rings or forms). If so, what size would you recommend? Any other adjustments to make? Thanks!