Julia's Tarte Aux Fraises

                                         
                                              Tarte Aux Fraises-Fresh Strawberry Tart

                                   (from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

                                                                     by Julia Child)

10-inch fully baked sweet pastry crust

1 1/3 cups flour

3-7 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. double-acting baking powder

7 Tbsp. fat: 5 Tbsp. chilled butter and 2 Tbsp. chilled vegetable shortening

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, and baking powder in mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into bits the size of small oatmeal flakes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, and knead the dough rapidly into a ball. Place on a board, and with the heel of your hand gently knead the dough together. The dough will be very sticky if you have used the full amount of sugar. Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for several hours until firm.

Roll out, and fit into 10-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated 375 degree ovenfor 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden.

1 cup red currant jelly       Boil the currant jelly and sugar in a small saucepan
                                     until the candy thermometer registers 228 degrees.
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar   Paint the interior of the pastry shell with currant 
                                      glaze. Let the glaze set for 5 minutes. This will 
                                      give the shell a light waterproofing. Reserve the
                                      rest of the glaze for the strawberries.

1 1/2 to 2 cups chilled custard filling:

Creme Patissiere

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

1 cup granulated sugar       Gradually beat the sugar into egg yolks and
                                       continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture
5 egg yolks                       is pale yellow and forms a ribbon (the mixture will
                                       thicken enough so that when some is lifted with a
                                       spoon and allowed to fall off the spoon, it forms a
                                       slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the 
                                       mixture.

1/2 cup flour                      Beat in the flour.

2 cups boiling milk             Beating the yolk mixture, gradually pour on the 
                                       boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets.

                   

                   Pour into saucepan and set over moderately high 
                                       heat. Stir with a wire whip constantly, making 
                                       sure to adjust the heat so the bottom of the
                                       custard doesn't burn or stick.As sauce comes to a                                        boil it will get lumpy, but will smooth out as you
                                       beat it. When boil is reached, beat over 
                                       moderately low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook the 
                                       flour.Be careful not to scorch custard in bottom of                                        pan.

1Tbsp. butter                     Remove from heat and beat in the butter and 
2 tsp. vanilla extract           flavorings. If not used immediately, dot with
3 Tbsp. rum                       butter to prevent a skin from forming on the
                                        surface. This can keep for a week in the
                                        refrigerator, or it may be frozen. 
                                            

To put together the strawberry tart:

Spread 1/2 inch layer of custard in the bottom of the pastry shell. Arrange a design of strawberries over the cream. Cover each berry with a thin coat of currant glaze. Serves 8.

                                      

Bon Apetit!