Strawberries ! One of our family favourites !  My son can “chomp down” (that’s his words) a bowl in no time! They taste good, look pretty and you can use them in many ways.  I always wish I have a bigger yard and more time so I can grow my own. Luckily, we have a few local farms close to our neighbourhood, and we can get fresh strawberries very easily.  I love the U-picks that they have in the early summer too ! It’s a great activity for both adults and kids.   

Makes about three to four 4-inch tarts

For the tart shell

• 120 g cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 180 g cake and pastry flour, sifted

For the fillings

• 450 g (about 1 lb) fresh strawberries
• 500 mL milk (preferably full fat, but 2 % works too)
• 2 egg yolks
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 40 g cornstarch
• 1/2 to 1 vanilla bean
• icing sugar for dusting

To make the tart shells

1. Mix together cold butter and sugar using a wooden spoon until no more lumps
2. Add egg yolk, mix until blended
3. Add flour all at once, mix with the wooden spoon, then transfer onto a table or counter and gently knead dough together (just work until ingredients are mixed in)
4. Wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF
6. Knead dough until pliable
7. Roll dough out to about 1/8 inch in thickness on a floured surface, dock with a fork
8. Place inside slightly greased tart molds, trim off excess dough (dough scraps can be re-roll, but may crack, so only re-roll once or twice)
9. Bake for about 12 minutes till golden, let cool

To make the vanilla cream fillings

1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and 1/2 cup of milk together until no more lumps
2. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds out of bean pod, do not throw away bean pod
3. In a pot, heat remaining milk, vanilla beans and the pod over medium heat until just boiled
4. Whisk 1/2 of boiled milk slowly into egg mixture to temper, then pour everything back into the pot
5. Heat until just starting to bubble and thicken, whisking constantly
6. Remove from heat, take out vanilla pod and let cool

When ready to serve, pipe or spoon vanilla cream into baked tart shell, top with fresh strawberries and icing sugar

Original tart shell and vanilla cream recipe by Chef Marco Ropke at the Vancouver Pastry Training Centre 

This is my first ever collaborative post, how exciting ! The Canadian Food Creatives collaboration are featuring fresh strawberries this month ! Be sure to check out the links below for other great recipes. They can also be found on social media using the hashtag #CDNFoodCreatives . Many thanks to Amanda Saxby at The Cinnamon Scrolls for hosting.

• Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries by Food Mamma
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Covered Strawberries by 365 Days of Easy Recipes
• Dark Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes by She Bakes Here
• Rituals + Strawberry, Rhubarb, Ginger Shrub by Eating Niagara
• Simple Macerated Strawberries by She Loves Biscotti
• Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles by Homemade & Yummy
• Strawberry Ice Cream with Drunken Rhubarb by Sugarlovespices
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Toasted Almonds by Crumb Kitchen
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Buns by Crumb: A Food Blog
• Strawberry Rolls with Basil Cream by The Cinnamon Scrolls
• Strawberry Shortcake with Lavender Lemon Cream by My Kitchen Love
• Strawberry Streusel Shortbread Bars by The Bluenose Baker
• Strawberry Vanilla Cream Tart by Tiny Sweet Tooth
• Yogurt Cake with Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb by Making Healthy Choices
• Strawberry Beet Salad by A Pretty Life