Tartelettes aux Fraises, or Strawberry Tartlets, are a delightful celebration of simplicity and freshness. Combining a buttery pie crust, lightly sweetened Chantilly cream, and ripe, juicy strawberries, this dessert is perfect for summer. With strawberry season in full swing, it’s the ideal treat to showcase the flavor of fresh-picked berries.

It's strawberry season in Ottawa, so I walked over to the fields by my house to the local "pick your own" farm and pinched off fresh, sun-kissed red strawberries. I used the leftover pastry from last week's Tarte aux Agrumes (Citrus Tart). A quick whisk of whipping cream, and this dessert was ready.

Recipe: Tartelettes aux Fraises (Strawberry Tartlets)

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1 cup water

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ¾ pint baskets of strawberries

Juice of ½ lemon, strained

Tasting Notes

Even in the heart of winter, this sorbet captures the sweet, robust flavor of strawberries. The combination of sugar, vanilla, and a squeeze of lemon enhances the natural fruitiness, making it a versatile dessert. Pair it with a slice of Génoise with Chantilly Cream and Strawberries for a truly elegant treat.

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Running total: $1.15 + $5.01 = $6.16
($0.83 per serving, for 6 servings)

Butter used so far: 0 tablespoons

Less than 3% complete Basic Pastry

Next recipe: Pudding Diplomate, Crème Anglaise (Ladyfinger Pudding with Crème Anglaise) and Biscuits à la cuillère (Lady fingers) page 118

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adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home (affiliate link)

1½ cups strawberries

½ cup confectioner's sugar

Juice of ½ lemon, strained

1 cup milk

1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)

3 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

4 tablespoons strawberry coulis

¼ ounce powdered gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)

2 tablespoons cold water

1¾ cups heavy cream, whipped

For the coulis, wash and hull the strawberries. Purée in a food processor and then strain the seeds out using a fine-mesh strainer. Stir in the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. Taste and adjust sweetness.

For the crème anglaise, heat milk and scraped vanilla bean in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove immediately from the heat and let steep for about 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.

Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in a bit of the hot milk mixture to temper, or warm, the eggs so they won't curdle. Keep whisking and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture.

Return the mixture to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about 5-7 minutes). Stir in the strawberry coulis.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and stir until softened. Let stand about 5 minutes. Then, stir the gelatin into the crème anglaise mixture and blend until the gelatin disappears into the mixture. Chill in the refrigerator until the mixture just starts to gel.

In a cold mixing bowl, whip the cream.

When the crème anglaise and gelatin mixture just starts to set, fold in the whipped cream. Pour the Bavarian cream into molds and chill completely for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To unmold, dip the mold in hot water for about 10 seconds. Then invert onto a serving platter. If needed, slide a knife around the edge. Serve the strawberry coulis on the side.

Tasting Notes
I loved how simple this recipe was. Using the freshest berries you can find is the key. As well, not filling the tart shell until absolutely necessary is important. We didn’t finish the tart, and although it tasted fine the next day, the crust was a little soft and the berries more mushy. I like how some other TWD bloggers made them as individual tarts and filled them on demand (as the recipe suggests). That’s the way to go with this recipe. My daughter who loves pies commented that she wished this tart were a pie so that there would be more crust—maybe a Strawberry Napoleon is next!

Recipe for Next Week (June 17)
Peppermint Cream Puff Ring on pages 290-292 chosen by Caroline of A Consuming Passion.