Saturday, February 13, 2016

Strawberry Tart



I made this strawberry tart for my sweetie for Valentines Day.
I'm going to serve it with chocolate ice cream...because my sweetie wants it that way.  Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream would also be very tasty.
I started by making a double batch of pie dough.


I used frozen strawberries for this recipe because you can buy frozen organic strawberries for half the price of fresh ones this time of year.  If you're making this recipe in the summer, when strawberries are in season, feel free to use fresh ones.


   
The thing to remember about using frozen berries in baking is not to defrost them first, or the tart/pie will get soggy.  Let them sit out until they are just soft enough to cut them in half and then pop them back in the freezer until you're ready to use them.



The filling is made from strawberries, a third cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of organic cornstarch and a teaspoon of vanilla.



Roll one of the dough discs out to fit your pan.  I used a rectangular tart pan but you could use a round pan.  Roll out the second disc and using a cookie cutter, cut out your heart shapes.  I had this 4" heart cutter but next time I think I would use a smaller cookie cutter.  You could make this tart/pie with bunnies for Easter or stars on top for a July 4th dessert.



Once you've filled the tart pan with the fruit, cover the top with the hearts.


I brushed the hearts with a little soy creamer and sprinkled them with some sugar so they would brown nicely.  Let the tart cool for at least an hour before serving.


Strawberry Tart
Serves 6-8  Use organic ingredients whenever possible

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
12 tablespoons Earth Balance butter substitute
4 tablespoons Spectrum palm shortening
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons non dairy creamer

For the filling:
36 medium sized frozen strawberries
1/3 cup unbleached white sugar
2 tablespoons organic cornstarch 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Grate the butter substitute into a bowl.  
Add the 4 tablespoons of palm shortening 
Freeze for 30 minutes 
Remove the shortening and chop into little pieces.
Mix the frozen fats into the flour by hand, breaking up the chunks.
Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition.
When the dough holds together, divide into two balls
Flatten into two discs and wrap each one in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 425.
Roll one disc out on a floured surface to fit your pan.
Put this in the refrigerator while you roll out the second disc.
Roll the second disc out and cut out your hearts.  
The scraps can be rolled out to cut more hearts.
Remove the strawberries from the freezer.
Sprinkle them with the sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.
Stir to coat them evenly.
Spread the fruit out in the tart pan evenly.
Top with the hearts
Brush the hearts with the creamer.
Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar on the top.
Place the tart on a baking sheet (just in case of leaks)
Bake for 20 minutes.
Lower the heat to 400 and bake for 30 minutes.
Lower the heat to 350 and bake for 20 minutes more.
Remove from oven and let cool for an hour.

Other Valentine Dessert Ideas:
(click on the titles for the recipes)

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Hearts



Chocolate Risotto






























Chocolate Raspberry Tomboy Cake



8 comments:

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