Usually during this period the fruit in my fridge does not have a long life at all. In fact it is rare that my forays in search of gluttonous food leave any survivors but this time it was my nephew who begged me to make him a cake.
I know his weaknesses well, the shortcrust pastry and the strawberries so I decided: I will prepare him a delicious wild strawberry tart with a soft surprise, the cream …. GNAM!
Take a pen and paper that now show you the ingredients to use:
FOR THE CREAM
– 2 yolks
– 1/2 l of whole milk (preferably BIO)
– peel of 1 lemon
– 60 gr of corn starch
– 1 sachet of vanillin
– 180 grams of sugar
FOR THE SHORT PASTRY
– 300 grams of flour
– 100 gr of butter
– 100 grams of sugar
– A teaspoon of baking powder
– 2 eggs
– peel of 1 lemon
– a pinch of salt
FOR DECORATION
– 400 gr of wild strawberries (better buy at least another 500 gr for the various tastings)
– 1 sachet of gelatin
PREPARATION
The sweet of my childhood has always been the cream. Few but healthy ingredients, a few minutes of patience and for my mother the game was done. With the cream he did two things at the same time: he satisfied his wallet as he did not spend much (in the post-war period people were careful about all the resources and I swear that growing up four daughters including twins was not a walk in the park at that time) and happy our little faces. How many good memories and that’s why every time I prepare the cream for my grandchildren, a renewed and magical air of “familiarity” as well as a good mood is breathed in the house!
FOR THE CREAM
To make a soft and fragrant cream, pour 1/2 liter of BIO milk into a saucepan with a thick bottom. As soon as the milk starts to boil, add 2 egg yolks previously beaten with whips with 180 g of sugar, 60 g of corn starch (which unlike flour does not alter its appearance or flavor), the sachet of vanillin and the inevitable lemon peel. For the latter I recommend: wash the lemon well and cut the thin skin so as not to take the albedo (i.e. the white part of the lemon that is between the colored peel of the citrus, the flavedo, and the endocarp, that is the pulp. Mamma mia but how much am I cultured ??? !!! ;-P).
At this point you just have to let the mixture condense over a low heat, stirring frequently. When I was little I was the one in charge of this operation and as a dear inheritance I let my nephew do it … but making sure that the cream, turning around, does not end up in her belly!
FOR THE SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Also in this case the procedure is VERY SIMPLE. However, there are two important premises:
1. the ingredients must be at room temperature except for the butter which must be just removed from the fridge,
2. the dough obtained must not be worked too long so as not to overheat it. In this eventuality, in fact, the shortcrust pastry will flake off when you roll it out with a rolling pin even if you have let it rest in the fridge for a whole month! In this regard, my mother taught me a trick that I now reveal to you too: before starting to work the shortcrust pastry, cool your hands by leaving them a few minutes under fresh tap water, you will see what a result! Place the flour in a fountain with 100 g of butter in the center (the more butter you use, the more crumbly the dough will be but remember to change the quantity of flour in proportion, otherwise you will make a mess!), 100 g of sugar (prefer sugar veil to the granulated one if you don’t like the consistency of the grains in your mouth), two eggs, a pinch of salt, the inevitable grated rind of a lemon and a teaspoon of baking powder. Quickly mix everything with your fingertips and stop working the mixture as soon as it appears homogeneous. Cover it with cling film and let it rest as much as possible in the refrigerator. Now it’s time to roll out the shortcrust pastry. To avoid adding more flour, which could alter the flavor of the dough, place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and, with a rolling pin, kept in the freezer for about ten minutes (another trick from mom), roll it out into the shape and in the size of the wheel that, previously greased and floured, you have chosen. Spread the dough prick the bottom with a fork and embellish the edges by pressing the prongs of the fork up and eliminating any excess. Let it cook at 180 degrees for thirty minutes. As soon as the pastry is golden but not darkened, remove it from the oven to prevent it from drying out and therefore hardening. Once everything has cooled, pour the cream into the wheel, which you will have revived by stirring it thoroughly or, if necessary, with an electric whisk, and proceed with the decoration by arranging the wild strawberries as you like. Finally, brush everything with the gelatin for which you will have followed the few simple instructions on the box.
And here is the strawberry tart ready to be tasted … too bad that my nephew’s is already over !!!
Then good appetite to you!
Have you tried our other sweets?
grandma adele’s italian original recipes
Based on 1 Review(s)
Leave a Reply