Submitted for our Dairy Recipe Contest by R. Urist

STRAWBERRY TARTE

Making The Shell

Make a rich pastry crust. Here, more or less, are the ingredients. (I say more or less, because sometimes I use the yolk, sometimes not.)
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup butter
the grated zest (outer rind) of half a lemon

Mix above ingredients in a cuisinart. Then add enough cold water to hold the mixture together. Try a few drops at a time. Chill the dough, then roll it out as thinly as possible, and line a tart pan with it.

Smooth tin foil over the dough. Fill with rice (or beans, or lentils, or whatever you like) to weigh down the dough, and bake in a hot oven (425) for about fifteen minutes, or until the tart shell is delicately browned. (Usually you need to uncover the dough after 10 - 15 minutes, and cook it uncovered for a couple of minutes – no more – till the dough is golden.

Making the Filling

In a saucepan beat two egg yolks and three tablespoons each of sugar and flour until the mixture is light and fluffy. Soften two teaspoons kosher gelatin in 1 tablespoon of cold water and dissolve it in 3/4 cup hot milk. Add the milk to the egg mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the cream is hot and thick, but be careful not to let it boil. Stir the cream over cracked ice to cool it quickly. Once cooled, fold in two stiffly beaten egg whites, ½ cup whipped, heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons liquer. (I like using Grand Marnier.) Turn the pastry cream into the baked tart shell. Chill. Once it’s completely set, arrange large, ripe strawberries on top. ( I like to cut the strawberries in half and place them cut side down in concentric circles on the cream.) Glaze the strawberries with three tablespoons red current jelly, melted and thinned with 1 tablespoon boiling water.

Notes:
1. This is delicious with kiwi instead of strawberries. Or, make telescoping, concentric circles of strawberries and kiwi. It’s pretty. I like to glaze the fruit with melted, pureed apricot jam. Mmmm.
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