by Tiffany Ludwig
I love pie. I love it in the summer, the fall, the winter and especially in the spring time! A Strawberry Tart has the perfect contrast of sweet berries, smooth velvety cream and flaky crust that gets me every time. This year our local strawberry season is starting a bit later than last year but it's right around the corner and some of our readers are in areas where strawberries are already abundant.
As much as I love pie & strawberries, I don't love making crust. So this recipe uses pre-made crust. Seriously, it's the only way I'll do it. You can use whole wheat crust if you prefer and I always look for crust made with butter. It's considerably more delicious.
Enjoy!
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 refrigerated pie pastry (you can keep this in the pie tin or move it to a tart pan with removable bottom)
Filling
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioner sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
approximately 8 oz strawberries, halved (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups when halved)
1/4 cup seedless red currant jelly
Preparation
Prick the pie pastry bottom with a fork and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden. If it begins to puff while baking just press bubbles down or use pie weights. Cool completely and leave in the pan while you complete the rest of the preparation.
Prepare the strawberries. Gently wash the berries and pat dry. Hull them by inserting a paring knife below the stem and cut around to remove the stem and white core. Slice strawberries in half.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone until fluffy and smooth. Add the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Spread the mixture evenly into the baked crust.
Beginning at the outside edge lay the strawberries around the pie to cover completely.
In a small saucepan heat the jelly on medium-low until liquefied, add a touch of water if necessary. Now brush it on top of the strawberries and let set and chill for 1-2 hours. Remove the pan and serve.
