Strawberry Tart with White Chocolate and Almonds
·Ganache base
Soak the gelatin in water. Heat half of the cream with half of the vanilla just below boiling point and dissolve the gelatin in it. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate, stir, then add the remaining cold cream. Blend with an immersion blender, keeping it at the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Refreshing strawberry purée
Let the gelatin bloom in water. Simmer the strawberries with sugar and lemon, then blend with an immersion blender. Stir the gelatin into the hot purée and mix until completely dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate.
Preparing the shortcrust pastry
Mix the dry ingredients, add the cold butter, and use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to create a crumbly mixture. Add the egg and quickly work into a smooth dough. Press it a few times with the heel of your hand to ensure there are no visible butter pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Top cookie crown
Preheat the oven to top and bottom heat at 160. Place a damp kitchen towel under the baking paper so it doesn’t slip. Roll out a thin sheet of dough. Cut out flowers, a 24 cm circle, and a smaller center. Pierce with small holes and freeze for 15 minutes. Bake for 15–18 minutes and let cool completely on the tray.
Lining the tart ring
Roll out a thin sheet of dough. Cut out the base and use long strips to form the sides of the tart ring, leaving about 1 cm for joining. Press well against the ring and base. Carefully smooth the seams with your fingers and trim excess dough straight with a knife. Freeze for 15 minutes so the dough doesn’t shrink during baking.
Almond filling
Cream the softened butter with sugar using the flat beater of a stand mixer. Gradually beat in the eggs, then gently fold in the almond flour and plain flour. Do not over-aerate the mixture, or it will rise too much in the oven.
Baking the tart and filling
Line the tart base with paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans, spread the almond filling, and bake for another 15–20 minutes until golden. Let the tart cool for 15 minutes so the pastry settles and firms up. Then carefully remove the ring and transfer the tart to a rack.
Spread the confit
Spread the strawberry purée over the cooled almond base. If it’s too firm, briefly stir it with a spoon or whisk. Prepare cleaned, quartered fresh strawberries.
Whip the ganache
Transfer the chilled mixture from the fridge to a bowl and whip at medium speed for 1 to 3 minutes. As soon as the cream turns matte and holds a distinct trail, stop immediately — overwhipped ganache will curdle. If it doesn’t thicken, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes and try again.
Pipe the ganache onto the tart
Transfer the cream to a piping bag with a plain tip and pipe firm little ‘dots’ tightly next to each other over the tart. Add pieces of strawberries here and there and carefully place the baked crown on top. You can dust with powdered sugar.
Serving
Before slicing, remove the top crown and break it into mini cookies. Serve them alongside each slice of tart. Don’t leave the dessert in the heat for too long. After taking it out of the fridge, let it soften slightly before serving so the flavors can fully develop.