The fresh flavors of the season and the spirit of everyday good living are ever-present here in Italy. It doesn’t seem to matter if it is a Monday morning and you are quietly sipping your first wake-me-up espresso of the day, or a Tuesday night celebrating a Birthday with new friends. One of our classmates who joined us at the Mami Camilla cooking school for the last two days, Lora, was celebrating her Birthday yesterday—Buon Compleanno Lora!
Perforated Shortbread Crust
Shortbread Crust topped with Apricot Preserves & Cookie Crumbs
When asked what Birthday treat she wanted for dessert last night after class, she chose wisely by requesting a fresh fruit tart—not just any fruit tart, Una Torta di Fragole, or Strawberry Tart. A crisp shortbread crust topped with a layer of apricot jam and cookies crumbs, followed by a rich, creamy filling of lightly scented lemon custard cream. Then, the ruby red stars of the show—fanned strawberries that are so sweet, they seem to melt in your mouth instantaneously. Finished off with a glaze of a gelatinized apricot jam for shine and a touch of extra sweetness, this Birthday dessert was one for the books. Decorated with one shimmering candle for the occasion and the Birthday girls plate decadently decorated with celebratory words of chocolate and Kahlua.
A sweet treat after my own heart—my Grandmother Muriel’s strawberry layer cake with strawberry icing was always my top choice as a child for my special day. Pink layered upon pink, sweet layered upon creamy, Birthday giddiness layered upon utter perfection. Whether it is a Strawberry Tart enjoyed around a table of new friends in Italy, or that special strawberry layer cake enjoyed around a family table of your childhood, a celebration is made even sweeter with the simple addition of fresh, local strawberries.
(To view the recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Strawberry Tart
Ingredients:
- For the shortbread crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour and 9-inch tart pan. Ingredients needed: 250g butter, softened, 150g sugar, ½ kilo flour, 2 eggs, 1 lemon zested, 1 pinch of baking powder. Cream butter and sugar together; add eggs and rest of ingredients and mix into a ball. Roll out into a 9-inch tart pan that has been buttered and floured; perforate the crust with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- For the custard cream: 200g flour, 400g sugar, 4 whole eggs; mix all together with a wooden spoon. Slowly whisk in 1 liter of milk and the peel of 1 lemon (for a slight lemon taste; if want an almond taste add in almond extract, or even vanilla extract, or for a lemon custard sauce, add the zest of 4-5 lemons instead!) Cook this mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until it is very thick. Cook on a marble surface to room temperature. In the meantime, whip 100ml of heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into the cooled custard mixture, in a large bowl, with a rubber spatula.
- Cool the cooked crust. Once it is room temperature spread ¼ cup of apricot preserves on the bottom of the cooked crust with an offset spatula. Top the preserves with ½ cup of cookie crumbs, or unseasoned bread crumbs. Then, with the offset spatula, spread the custard-cream on top of the cookie crumbs and jam. Hull and slice in half, 2 pints of strawberries, and place in a fan-pattern on top of the custard-cream.
- For the glaze: In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of apricot preserves with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until the preserves becomes very liquidy and thin. With a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the top of the strawberries. Let the tart chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Directions:
Tagged: apricot preserves, Birthday Cake, custard cream, externship, Italian, Italy, Mami Camilla, pastry cream, shortbread, Sorrento, strawberries, Strawberry Tart
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