Glazed Strawberry & Creme Patissiere Tart

Directions

• Prepare fruit
• Marinate the strawberries overnight: place layers of halved strawberries cut side up in a wide, non-reactive bowl.
• Sprinkle each layer evenly with sugar and cognac.
• Cover with a tea towel and leave to stand overnight in a cool dry place (tea towel must not touch fruit).
• Next day, strain juices thoroughly and set aside for jelly topping.
• Make tart case
• Pre heat oven to 190C fan. Grease a 24cm tart case with removable base.
• Sift together dry ingredients into a wide bowl.
• Make a well in centre and mix in wet ingredients.
• Bring all ingredients together to form a dough ball. Do not overwork dough or it will become tough.
• Place dough on large sheet of baking paper on benchtop.
• Place a large sheet of cling wrap over dough and roll pastry out to 3mm thick, at least 30 cm circle, lifting and turning cling wrap as you go: using cling wrap avoids adding extra flour to stop dough sticking to rolling pin and makes lifting dough into pan easy.
• Lift cling wrap and dough away from baking paper base, ease pastry into tart case and peel away cling wrap.
• Form pastry gently but firmly into the fluted sides.
• Trim edges away by passing rolling pin firmly across the sides of the tart pan: unwanted extra pastry just falls away.
• Prick the base with a fork. Line with baking paper, fill with rice or baking beads, ensure beads closely fill sides of tart all around.
• Blind bake for 10 minutes, remove beads and paper, bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until sides are golden brown and base is crisp.
• Cool on a rack and then remove tart case carefully from pan.
• Make creme patissiere
• Warm milk on a gentle heat until steam arises.
• Whisk together sugar, flour, cornflour and beaten eggs until completely free of lumps; gradually stir in heated milk, vanilla extractmand cognac.
• Return mixture to pan and stir continuously (a small whisk is ideal) until well thickened and just coming to boil.
• Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Cool in pan covered with a baking paper cartouche to prevent skin forming.
• Make jelly
• Mix a generous tsp of vegetarian jelling powder into 100-150 ml fruit marinade until well blended.
• Heat slowly to boiling point and boil for two minutes.
• Allow to cool slightly.
• Assemble tart
• Place tart case on presentation plate.
• Pour creme patissiere into tart case and spread evenly using offset spatula.
• Fill to 5 mm below tart top, to allow for jelly.
• Place strawberries evenly, working from outside of tart towards centre, with pointed berry ends facing to centre of tart: revolving plate as you go assists.
• Brush jelly over fruit, then carefully and gently pour remainder over top of creme patissiere until whole tart is covered with a thin layer.
• Place in refrigerator to cool for at least one hour before serving.