FOOD: Strawberry tarts. Annie Smithers

Serves 6

Sweet shortcrust

– 400g plain flour

– 200g chopped cold unsalted butter

– 100g castor sugar

– pinch salt

– 1 egg yolk

– 50ml cold water

Place the flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on slow speed until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and water and mix until the pastry comes together in a ball. Remove from the bowl, flatten into a disc and wrap and chill for at least half an hour. Alternatively the pastry can be made in a food processor or on the bench by hand.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, unwrap and give a little knead on a floured surface for about 10 seconds. Then proceed to roll out the pastry to about three millimetres thick. Line six small tart moulds or a 22-centimetre round flan tin with pastry. Cut a size that sits slightly above the top of the tin and roll backwards over the edge to help prevent it from shrinking. Chill again for at least half an hour.

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Line each tart case with baking paper and fill with blind-baking beans. Often people seem to just put a little layer at the bottom, I use a mixture of rice and chickpeas, and use them over and over again, which allows me to fill the tart cases right to the brim. Bake for 10 minutes, check if the edges are cooked and then remove the “beans” and paper. Return to the oven and cook until golden brown. (A large flan tin will take another five minutes or so.) Remove from oven and set aside.

Crème pâtissière

– 550ml milk

– ½ vanilla bean

– 6 egg yolks

– 125g castor sugar – 50g cornflour

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place 500 millilitres of the milk and the vanilla bean, split and scraped. Bring to scalding point.

In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. In another bowl add the remaining 50ml of milk to the cornflour and stir to a paste. Add this to the egg mixture and whisk together.

When the milk has scalded, pour it onto the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Return to a clean saucepan, cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture boils and is thickened and silken. Remove from heat. Scrape into a vessel and cover with cling wrap or paper to prevent a skin from forming. Chill.

To assemble

– 1 punnet of strawberries

Fill each tart case with crème pâtissière, top with cut strawberries and dust with icing sugar. Serve.

Wine pairing:

2015 Crofters Fold Mylestone sparkling blanc de noirs, Macedon Ranges ($35)