When strawberries are at their peak, I serve them as simply as possible: over a creamy, tart filling in a delicate, crackly crust—polite but delicious supporting players. This is a kind of do-it-yourself tart kit whose components can be made ahead of time and carted off to your friend’s house or a picnic for last-minute assembly. You can use any individual tartlet molds, but I especially like French flan rings. They are a little trickier to work with, since they have no bottom (they look like bracelets), but I like the modern lines and the large capacity of the shells as opposed to the fluted kind.
Strawberry Tartlets with Goat Cheese Filling
Ingredients
For the tart shells:
- 1-1/2 cups (192 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/3 cup (34 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 tablespoons (113 g - 1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
For the filling:
- 4 ounces soft, mild goat cheese
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (47 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 8 ounces crème fraîche
For the strawberries:
- 4 cups (1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced in half, quartered if large
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Aperol (optional)
Instructions
To make the tart shells:
- Pulse the flour, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse to combine until it is in small pea-sized pieces. With the food processor running, slowly add the egg yolks through the feed tube. Stop the machine just as the dough begins to come together. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it once or twice to make sure it is well mixed. Wrap the dough in plastic, flatten it into a disk, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
To make the filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (not a food processor), blend the goat cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Add the crème fraîche and gently mix at low speed until just combined. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
To bake the tart shells:
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 pieces; refrigerate 3 of the pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a circle that is about 1/8 inch thick and slightly larger than the tart rings you are using. Press the dough into a tart ring, allowing the excess to hang over. Roll over the top of the tart ring with a rolling pin to remove the excess dough. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough, then reroll scraps as needed to fill all 6 rings. Prick the dough all over with a fork, transfer the lined tart rings to the prepared baking sheet using a spatula, and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until firm.
- Line each tart shell with a piece of buttered foil, fill with dry beans or pie weights, and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden at the edges. Remove the foil and continue to bake, uncovered, until evenly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool completely. (You can make the tart shells up to 2 days ahead.)
To make the strawberries:
- Mix the strawberries, sugar, and Aperol (if using) together in a large bowl and set aside to macerate for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries look juicy, tossing occasionally.
To assemble the tarts:
- Divide the cream and berries among the tart shells, starting with a layer of cream and finishing with the berries. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe reprinted with permission from Veg Forward: Super-Delicious Recipes that Put Produce at the Center of Your Plate by Susan Spungen (Harper Celebrate, 2023). Photography by Susan Spungen.