Serves 4-6 people
Pâte Sucrée
125g butter, softened
½ cup (90g) caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups (250g) flour
Beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten egg and mix into the creamed mixture.
Add the flour in 2 stages and continue mixing until the dough is crumbly.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead it by hand until the dough is smooth. Form it into a ball. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes before rolling.
Roll the pastry and line the base and sides of a tart tin with removable base approx. 10cm x 34cm. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C
Line pastry with baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 12-15 minutes to cook the pastry. Remove the baking beans and brush the pastry base with a little beaten egg. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to allow the egg wash to dry out. Place on a cake rack to cool.
Crème Pâtissière
300ml milk
1 vanilla pod
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp flour
¼ cup sugar
Heat the milk with the vanilla pod and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
Place the egg, egg yolk, flour and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix to form a smooth paste.
Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and mix into the egg mixture. Rinse out the saucepan. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and boils. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer the Crème Pâtissière to a bowl. Cover with cling film or damp greaseproof paper to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate until cold.
1 – 2 punnets strawberries
Apricot Glaze
½ cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp water
Place the apricot jam and water into a small saucepan. Stir while heating. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pass through a small sieve to remove any apricot pieces. Cool.
To Assemble
Spread the Crème Pâtissière into the cooled pastry base.
Remove the hulls from the strawberries. Cut and place randomly over the Crème Pâtissière.
Brush the glaze over the strawberries