Strawberry Tart with Toasted Almond Crust

Sweet, luscious red berries brightened with a touch of citrus, tossed with a spoonful of sweet jam then tucked inside a tender pastry crust layered with the flavor of toasted almonds. Spring brings with it floral notes and beautiful bites!

Spotting plump, ripe strawberries in the market, it was impossible not to grab a handful or two and whisk them away to be baked into something tasty.

Starting with the same basic recipe we use to make our Rustic Blueberry Tart, we thought it might be wonderful to add a hint of almonds to the crust. Then we blended lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in with the berries along with a scoop of sugar to enhance the berries natural sweetness along with a scoop of strawberry-cranberry jam.

Making rustic tarts, also known as crostatas or galettes, is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make a fruit “pie”. You roll the dough out on the same sheet of parchment paper that you use to bake it.

Occasionally an errant piece of fruit will poke a tiny hole in the pastry causing the juices to escape while baking. Try not to panic. Let the tart finish baking then as soon as you take it out of the oven spoon the juices that broke loose back over the exposed fruit.

This is one dessert that truly welcomes spring!

Strawberry Tart with Toasted Almond Crust

For the pastry:

¾ cup unsalted butter

1-½ cups flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds

⅓ cup cold water

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Cut the butter into cubes and chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Combine the flour, kosher salt, sugar, and toasted almonds in a food processor and process for about 5 to 10 seconds, or until the almonds are finely ground.

Scatter the butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse about 10 times, or just until the butter pieces are the size of peas.

Add the cold water and process for about 10 to 15 seconds, just until the pastry dough starts to come together. The pastry dough will still be crumbly in appearance. Don’t over process or your pastry will be tough. Turn the mixture out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper.

Gently pull the dough together using the parchment paper, pressing it into a disc. Roll the dough into a round, measuring about 15” to 16”, turning occasionally and dusting with flour if needed, so the dough doesn’t stick to the paper. Slide the parchment paper along with the pastry dough onto a rimmed baking sheet.

For the filling:

3 cups sliced strawberries

⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons strawberry-cranberry jam*

Zest of 1 lemon

1-½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling over the pastry crust

Place the strawberries in a large bowl along with ⅓ cup of the jam, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir to blend together.

In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and sugar together. Add to the strawberries, stirring until well mixed. Pile the berries in the center of the pastry dough leaving about 2-½” to 3” to fold up over the berries.

Gently pull the dough up towards the center, partially covering the berries, folding and turning as you go. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon milk. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush some of the egg wash over the pastry dough. Finish by sprinkling with the extra sugar.

Bake the tart in a 375-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons jam and brush over the exposed berries. Let the tart cool before slicing to allow the juices to set.

*We use our strawberry-cranberry jam, but you can use all store-bought strawberry jam. You can often find cranberry jam in the markets and a blend of the two adds a really nice touch. Serves 6 to 8.