Strawberry Tart
By Anita Chu of Dessert First
This beautiful strawberry tart is a vegan version of the classic French fruit tarts, filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with fresh fruit. This is a perfect spring dessert to celebrate Mother’s Day, birthdays, or any occasion at all.
The simple press-in crust is made with almond flour for additional flavor and texture. You can use ground almond flour, or you can grind whole almonds in a food processor. Spend a bit of time pressing the dough evenly into the tart pan to get a nice shape. Also be sure to grease the tart pan well with cooking spray or some vegan butter, to make it easier to unmold the finished tart.
Traditional pastry cream is made with milk and eggs, but this vegan version is made with soy milk (you can also use any other non-dairy milk), cornstarch to thicken, and vegan butter for flavor. Cook the custard on the stove until it thickens, then let it cool before using. Don’t worry if it seems to solidify in the refrigerator. Just whisk it to loosen it up and regain its creamy texture before spreading it in the tart shell.
The pastry cream makes a perfect base for any kind of fruit, from berries in the spring and summer to stone fruit in the fall. This tart recipe is a great staple to have in your recipe box throughout the year.
Vegan Strawberry Tart
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond flour or ground almonds
6 tablespoons vegan butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an 8”x8” square or 9” round tart tin with removable bottom very well.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it forms crumbs and just starts to come together. Press into bottom of prepared pan.
Bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden and dry to the touch. Let cool on wire rack while you make the pastry cream.
Pastry Cream:
2 cups soy milk or other non-dairy milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup cornstarch
4 tablespoons vegan butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups strawberries for decorating
Place soy milk in a large saucepan and heat on stove on medium heat to just a simmer.
Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Pour the hot milk into the sugar mixture, whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook the mixture over medium heat, constantly whisking, for a few minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and thicken; remove from heat when your whisk is leaving tracks in the filling.
Whisk in the butter and vanilla extract.
Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof container.
Press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface and chill in refrigerator for an hour or so until fully chilled.
To serve, whisk the pastry cream to loosen it up. Spread evenly in the tart shell.
Wash and slice the strawberries, then arrange over the tart. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
