Fans of strawberries will love this amazing strawberry custard tart. It is made in three parts, which are the crust, the custard, and the strawberry topping. It’s super-simple to make and looks so pretty. This would be a great dessert to make in the spring or summer, to enjoy those juicy seasonal strawberries.
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This tasty strawberry custard tart dessert looks just as good as anything you would find at your local bakery, and it’s really easy to prepare, even if you’ve never made a tart before in your life! The warm and comforting aromas of vanilla and custard will make your kitchen smell like a bakery. Mmm, just imagine!
A French-style custard tart makes a great dessert after any kind of main dish. It’s sweet and juicy and combines several textures in every mouthful. So if you are looking for a simple strawberry dessert recipe that is straightforward enough for a beginner, this recipe is ideal.
If you love custardy desserts, then you might also enjoy crème brûlée for two, or how about this banana coconut milk pudding. Two of my favorites!
Main Ingredients
You don’t have to buy a tart from the bakery when it’s so easy to make one yourself. This strawberry custard tart recipe includes only the tastiest ingredients so you can expect a perfect result. These are some of the ingredients used to make it:
- Strawberries: Plump, juicy strawberries are showcased in this recipe.
- Grand Marnier: This orange liqueur adds elegance and a citrus twist.
- Vanilla bean: Using fresh vanilla elevates this dessert to a sophisticated level.
- Sugar: To add the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Sour cream: To add a tangy flavor to the crust and help with the texture.
Instructions Overview
Now you can imagine how juicy, fresh, and rich-tasting this strawberry custard tart is, you are sure to want to make it yourself! The good news is it’s very simple to prepare. The first thing to do is make the crust. A food processor makes short work of this. Just add the crust ingredients to the food processor and press the button. Press the resulting crumbs into a tart pan and bake it.
The strawberries need to be marinated for 40 minutes. Add some sugar and Grand Marnier and let them sit so they can absorb the flavors. The custard is made with a fresh vanilla bean and some milk. Sugar, egg yolks, and flour also go into the custard mixture. The custard will thicken up as it simmers on the stove.
When the crust is cool and the custard is thick, you can spoon it over the crust and refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Use the marinated strawberry halves to decorate the tart and drizzle over some of the Grand Marnier mixture to serve.
Common Questions
Pies were originally made to enclose a filling in a pastry crust. In the old days the crust wasn't even eaten, it was simply to hold the filling. These days the whole pie is eaten, pastry and filling.
A tart, on the other hand, is more like a shortbread cookie with a topping. The crust is part of the dessert rather than something just to hold a filling. Also, tarts tend to be shallower, meaning there is a higher crust to filling ratio than with a pie. As to which is best, well, I could never decide. I love both!
There is a lot of crossover when it comes to both pie and tart recipes. Egg custard tarts, such as this strawberry custard tart, are popular in both the UK and France, as well as other European countries. And they date all the way back to medieval times.
I would recommend using a real vanilla bean because it gives the best flavor. However, if you want to use vanilla extract instead, that's fine. 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract is equal to 1 whole vanilla bean. If you prefer to use ground vanilla beans instead, then 1½ teaspoons of those equals 1 whole vanilla bean.
Keep it refrigerated because of the dairy ingredients and egg used to make it. It should last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
You can make the crust and custard a day ahead if you want, but don’t marinate the strawberries or decorate the tart until just before serving for the freshest result.
Although you can freeze a custard tart, the juices will seep into the crust and make it a bit soggy. If you do choose to freeze it, bear in mind it won’t be as good as when it was fresh.
A slice of this wonderful tart makes a great dessert. It’s also good as a mid-morning or late afternoon pick-me-up. Try it with a cup of coffee or some strawberry lemonade.
Grand Marnier is an orange liqueur. You can use Cointreau or Triple Sec instead. If you don’t want to use alcohol at all, replace the Grand Marnier with the same amount of orange juice or unsweetened orange juice concentrate.
Chopnotch Tips
- It’s important to use fresh strawberries for this recipe because thawed or canned ones are mushy and won’t look or taste so good.
- The custard should be quite thick so it sits on the crust instead of sinking into it. Once it coats the back of a spoon it’s thick enough.
- Don’t pour the marinating liquid on top until just before serving it.
Everyone will be super-impressed when you serve this strawberry custard tart. Although it looks truly elegant, the truth is it’s really easy to make, even for a novice home baker!
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Recipe
How to Make
Strawberry Custard Tart
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the vanilla custard:
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
For the strawberries and syrup:
- 2 tablespoons grand marnier
- 16 ounces strawberries, halved and hulled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Take a food processor and place all the crust ingredients into it, and process until it resembles cornmeal.
- Take a tart pan and press the crust mixture into it and bake for 15 minutes at 375°F.
To make the strawberry syrup:
- Now put the halved and hulled strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle sugar over the strawberries and pour over the Grand Marnier. Let them marinate for 40 minutes. After that, strain and reserve the juice.
To make the vanilla custard:
- Place vanilla bean and milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- When it boils, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. Scrape the pulp from the vanilla bean into the milk and discard the pod.
- Now take another bowl and whisk the sugar and egg yolk in it until combined, and then add the flour to the mixture and mix well.
- Slowly whisk in half the milk mixture from the saucepan into the egg and sugar mixture. Then whisk the mixture from this bowl back into the milk mixture in the saucepan and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes while continually whisking until the mixture has thickened.
- Spread the custard on the bottom of the crust and then refrigerate the filled shell for 20 minutes.
- Decorate the tart with strawberry halves. Cut into pieces and serve with the reserved strawberry juice.
Notes
- It’s important to use fresh strawberries for this recipe because thawed or canned ones are mushy and won’t look or taste so good.
- The custard should be quite thick so it sits on the crust instead of sinking into it. Once it coats the back of a spoon it’s thick enough.
- Don’t pour the marinating liquid on top until just before serving it.
