Open strawberry tart

Great for a special afternoon tea or eat to finish a meal.

Tip – add Grand Marnier to taste to the mascarpone and orange mixture or toss a little through the strawberries.

Pastry

150 g	Butter, softened
60 g	Icing sugar
1 tsp	Vanilla extract, or vanilla paste
150 g	Plain flour
1 pinch	Salt

To finish

250 g	Mascarpone
1	Orange, finely grated zest
2 punnets	Strawberries, hulled and halved (Main)
1 serving	Icing sugar, for sprinkling
3 sprigs	Mint, optional

Directions

1. To make the pastry, place the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and mix gently until smooth.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl then gradually add to the butter mixture in 3 batches. Make sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next.
3. Tip pastry out onto a lightly floured bench and flatten into a disc. Wrap and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes, just enough so is no longer sticky at this stage.
4. Heat the oven to 160C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
5. Remove pastry from the fridge, unwrap and place on the prepared tray. Roll into a large disc, at least 24-25cm, ensuring the pastry is thin and evenly rolled so it bakes to a crisp pastry. Prick pastry all over with a fork. Place back in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes. The pastry should be hard.
6. Remove from fridge and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
7. To finish, mix together the mascarpone and orange zest. If you fancy being a little creative then place a small amount in a piping bag with a plain, small nozzle. Spread most of the mascarpone over the pastry.
8. Sprinkle the strawberries with 1 tablespoon icing sugar and gently toss to mix – this gives the strawberries a lovely shine. Or you could toss in 1 tablespoon honey which intensifies their colour. Tip strawberries onto the mascarpone letting them fall naturally.
9. Pipe little 'blobs' of the mascarpone into the strawberries then decorate with a few mint sprigs, if wished. Dust with extra icing sugar.
10. Cut tart into wedges for serving. Keep any leftover tart, covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.

See more or Kathy's simple baking recipes

• Lemon and blueberry ring tin cake
• Mini coconut bundt cakes with strawberry icing