Strawberry almond tart

Fiona Andersen

Ingredients

1	Sweet shortcut pastry case, 28cm (see recipe below) (Main)
250 g	Unsalted butter
250 g	Caster sugar
250 g	Ground almonds (Main)
4	Free-range eggs
1 tsp	Vanilla essence/extract
50 g	Plain flour
1 kg	Strawberries, hulled and cut in half  (Main)

Sweet shortcrust pastry

175 g	Unsalted butter, at room temperature
75 g	Icing sugar
2	Free-range egg yolks
250 g	Plain flour
1 Tbsp	Water, cold

Vanilla sugar syrup

½ tsp	Vanilla paste
1 cup	Caster sugar
¾ cup	Water

Directions

1. Make vanilla sugar syrup:Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium to high heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before use. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
2. Make pastry:Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and pale. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well.
3. Mix in flour and just enough cold water to bring the pastry together.
4. Knead lightly, roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
5. Heat oven to 180C. Unwrap pastry, slice thinly and press into a 28cm fluted tart mould with a baking paper-lined removable base. Ensure pastry is evenly and thinly spread, about 2mm thick. Remove excess pastry from around edges.
6. Refrigerate pastry base for 10 minutes before lining with a sheet of baking paper. Fill with baking beans and blind bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before removing beans.
7. Make frangipane filling and cook tart:Reduce oven temperature to 160C.
8. Beat butter, sugar and almonds in a mixing bowl until well combined.
9. Add eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated then add vanilla extract and flour and mix well.
10. Using a spatula, spread this frangipane mixture over the cooled, blind baked pastry case and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and just set.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from baking tin.
12. To serve:Place strawberries into a bowl with the vanilla syrup. Lightly toss together and place on top of the frangipane tart.
13. Serve immediately with pure cream or vanilla icecream.