Is anything better than strawberries with chocolate? It would be strawberries with cream and a sprinkle of sugar. (This is the way you eat fresh strawberries at the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in London)

This is my take on strawberries with chocolate and strawberries with cream. The perfect concoction, the dessert of the summer.

Ingredients:

Crust:

40 g almonds
45 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
110 g all-purpose flour
75 g sugar
1 pinch salt
¾ stick (85 g) butter, cold and salted
½ teaspoon vanilla paste
1 egg

Custard:

3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
250 ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
heavy whipping cream, whipped

Topping:

strawberries
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Crust:

Chop the almonds in the food processor until it’s a coarse flour. Add, cocoa, sugar, flour and salt. Add diced cold butter, and blend until fully combined. Add vanilla paste and egg, and blend until just combined. Don't knead the dough, it will make the crust shrink when baked.

Form a disc or flat square of the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Spray a 14-inch rectangular removable-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray.

Flour your work surface generously, place the cold dough on top and flour the dough. Roll it out into a 7-by-16-inch rectangle, so it fits the tart pan.

Transfer the dough to the pie pan, cut of the overhanging dough for the crust to fit perfect in the pan.

If the dough sticks, use at bench scraper or a spatula to get it off your work surface. If the dough get to soft, put it into the freezer for a few minutes.

Prick dough all over with a fork. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃)

Line crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake the crust until edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weights, and bake the crust for another 10 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Custard:

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale in color. Whisk in the cornstarch and vanilla paste.

Heat the milk to a slow boil, set aside.

While whisking vigorously drizzle the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, just a tiny bit at a time at first. Once you’ve added about ¼ of the milk, you can add the rest in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and reheat it over medium heat. Whisk constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar or press some plastic wrap against the custard so it won't form a pudding skin. Chill the custard completely in the refrigerator.

When the custard is cold, whip the heavy whipping cream. Fold the whipped cream in the custard a little at a time till you get the desired taste and texture.

Assembly of the tart:

Spoon custard into cooled crust and spread into an even layer. Arrange strawberries over filling in a decorative pattern. Place honey in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until melted, about 10 seconds. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze over strawberries. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Jordbærtærte med Chokoladebund

Ingredienser:

Bund:

40 g mandler
45 g kakaopulver, usødet
110 g hvedemel
75 g sukker
1 knsp salt
85 g smør, koldt og saltet, i små tern
½ tsk vanille pasta eller kornene fra ½ vanillestang
1 æg

Creme:

3 æggeblommer
2 spsk sukker
1 spsk maizena
2,5 dl mælk
1 tsk vanille pasta eller kornene fra 1 vanillestang
piskefløde, pisket

Topping:

jordbær
1 spsk honning

Fremgangsmåde:

Bund:

Hak mandlerne til manelmel i foodprocessoren. Tilsæt kakao, sukker, mel og salt. Kom smørret i, og blend indtil det er en ensartet blanding. Tilsæt vanillie og æg, og blend indtil det kun lige har samle sig. Hvis du ælter dejen for meget, vil den krympe, når den bages

Form dejen til en flad firkant og pak den ind i plastikfilm, og lad den hvile i køleskabet i minimum en time.

Smør en rektangulær tærtebund.

Rul dejen ud på et meldækket bord så den er lidt større end tærteformen. Løft dejen forsigtigt over i formen, og skær evt overskydende dej af, så dejen passer perfekt i formen.

Prik i dejen med en gaffel, og sæt dejen i fryseren i ca 30 minutter.

Opvarm ovnen til 190℃.

Kom et stykke bagepapir ovenpå dejen og hæld Keramiske blindbagningskugler, eller tørrede bønner, ovenpå, så du kan bage bunden blindt. Bag bunden i 20 minutter, fjern så bagepapir og fyld. Bag bunden i yderligere 10 minutter. Lad bunden køle helt af, inden den fyldes. Du kan evt, pensle bunden indvendigt med lidt smeltet chokolade.

Creme:

Æggeblommerne røres hvide sammen med sukkeret. Rør mizen og vanillien i æggeblandingen. Mælken koges op og hældes i lidt ad ganged ned i æggemassen, mens der piskes. Når al mælken er kommet i, hældes det hele tillage i gryden og koges op under konstant omrøring. Cremen tykner i denne proces. Dæk cremen med et stykke film, så den ikke trækker skind. Der må ikke røres i cremen mens den afkøles. Når kagecremen er helt afkølet, blandes den med flødeskum, så cremen får en passende konsistens og smag.

Assembly of the tart:

Fordel kagecremen i tærtebunden og læg jordbær ovenpå. Pensel jordbærrene med lidt opvarmet honning, for at give dem mere glans. Server straks, eller opbevar tærten på køl, indtil den skal serveres.

Velbekomme!