Simplest Strawberry Tart

Simplest strawberry tart

It’s a holiday weekend for us, which means sweet time with friends and family. The hundredth running of the Indy 500 here in our city, a family wedding weekend, and now Memorial Day have brought a festive air to the weekend. They’re a good distraction for us, as our hearts and stomachs are in knots related to our adoption situation. Uncertainty is in the air, and man, does it make the days into what seems like eternity. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated as we continue to wander along this winding path.

In the meantime, here is a seriously kickin’ strawberry tart brought to you courtesy of our friend Yossy Arefi. Yossy is a rockstar baker, photographer and overall lovely human who’s just released a book devoted to fruit desserts called Sweeter Off the Vine. The photographs are insane, and as we found when we made this tart, the recipes are as well. This simplest strawberry tart is indeed simplest; a crusty rye and butter layer combined with delightfully sweet seasonal berries and sweetened mascarpone. It’s perfect for any festive occasion. Sending love to you all, and cheers to summer dessert season!

Simplest Strawberry Tart

 

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by: a Couple Cooks

Serves: 1 15 by 6-inch tart

What You Need

• ½ recipe Rye Pie Crust (see below)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
• 1 pound small sweet strawberries
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons high-quality strawberry jam

What To Do

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400F.
2. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the pie crust into a disk into an oval about 15 by 6 inches and just under ¼-inch thick. Use a paring knife or pastry cutter to trim any rough edges and move the parchment sheet and crust to a baking sheet. Dock the crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much in the oven. Brush the surface of the crust from edge to edge with the egg wash. Bake the dough until it is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Check on the crust halfway through baking and if any bubbles have appeared, use a spatula to press them flat. Cool the crust completely in the pan.
3. While the crust is cooling, combine the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Hull the strawberries and slice them into ¼-inch slices.
4. Move the cooled pie crust to a serving platter or board and spread the mascarpone over the top in an even layer, dot with the jam, then arrange the sliced strawberries in a single, slightly overlapping layer in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining tablespoon of sugar (omit this final sprinkling if your strawberries are particularly sweet), slice, and serve immediately.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Sweeter Off the Vine by Yossy Arefi

3.5.3208

Rye Pastry Crust

 

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by: a Couple Cooks

What You Need

• 1⅓ cups rye flour
• 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 8 tablespoons ice water

What To Do

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl, cut the butter into ½-inch cubes, and add the apple cider vinegar to the ice water.
2. Working quickly, add the butter to the flour and toss to coat. Then use your fingers or the palms of your hands to press each cube of butter into a flat sheet. Keep tossing the butter in the flour as you go to ensure that each butter piece is coated with flour. The idea is to create flat, thin shards of butter that range from about the size of a dime to about the size of a quarter.
3. If at any time the butter seems warm of soft, briefly refrigerate the bowl.
4. Sprinkle about 6 tablespoons of the icy cold vinegar-water mixture over the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to stir the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems dry, add more cold water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and easily squeeze it together with out it falling apart.
5. Press the dough together, then split it in half. Form each half into a disk, and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before using, but preferably overnight. Keeps for up to three months in the freezer wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Sweeter Off the Vine by Yossy Arefi

3.5.3208

 

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

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