RECIPE
Yield: 2 x 15 cm tart
STRAWBERRY WHIPPED GANACHE
75 g Strawberry Puree
20 g Glucose
175 g White Coverture Chocolate
250 g Cream 35% Fat
qs Red Gel Colour (optional)
BROWN SUGAR SHORTCRUST PASTRY
150g unsalted butter
100g brown sugar
50g whole eggs
260g plain (all-purpose) flour
2g salt
STRAWBERRY JAM
80 g Strawberries
50 g Raspberries
30 g Caster Sugar
20 g Lemon Juice
ALMOND FRANGIPANE
50 g Softened Unsalted Butter
50 g Caster Sugar
50 g Whole Eggs
70 g Almond meal
40 g Plain Flour
VANILLA MASCARPONE CREAM
300 g Thickened Cream 35% Fat
100 g Mascarpone Cream
30 g Icing Sugar Sifted
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Finishing
Fresh Berries
Mint Leaves
METHOD
1. Prepare the STRAWBERRY WHIPPED GANACHE Place the strawberry puree into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the chocolate and glucose in a bowl then whisk to combine until all of the chocolate has dissolved. Add in the cold cream and mix until well combined. Cover with a food wrap and leave to chill in the fridge overnight or at least 12 hours.
Note that the cream will only whip better if it has rested for 12 hours.
2. To make the BROWN SUGAR SHORTCRUST PASTRY, place the cold but pliable butter and brown sugar into a stand mixer bowl and mix until combine. Add in the eggs and continue to mix to incorporate. Finally add in the plain flour and salt and mix until all the ingredients just come to a dough. Do not over mix.
Transfer the shortcrust pastry dough on to the work bench and gently knead until smooth. Flatten to a nice flat square then wrap in food wrap. Leave in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When the dough have rested, remove from the fridge then roll it to approximately 3 -4 mm in thickness. Cut discs that are slightly larger than the tart ring then line the tart rings with the pastry. Return the tart case into the friedge on a tray to rest for 30 minutes.
Once rested, remove from the fridge again, trim off any excess that is overhanging on the edges of the tart ring. Place a scrunched up piece of parchment paper or commercial oven proof cling wrap on top of the tart case then fill them with baking rice.
Bake in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes to par bake the tart case. Remove the baking rice and parchment paper. If the base is still slightly raw, bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes until it is light golden in colour. Do not bake much more than light golden as you will be baking it further after filling it with the almond frangipane.
Remove the tart case from the oven and leave to cool fully.
3. Prepare the STRAWBERRY JAM by placing all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the mixture comes to liquid, continue to cook at medium heat to reduce and until they comes to a jam consistency. This will only take around 2 - 3 minutes.
If you happen to cook out the jam too much, simply add some lemon juice to bring it to the desired consistency.
4. Prepare the ALMOND FRANGIPANE. Place the butter and sugar in to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, only adding the next addition when the ingredients are well incorporated.
Once all the eggs have been added, add in the almond meal and plain flour and mix until well combined, scraping down the bowl if necessary.
Transfer the frangipane into a pastry bag fitted with a 15mm plain pastry tip, pipe a spiral of the cream into the base of the tart shell.
Bake in the pre heated oven at 160˚C and bake for approximately 15 -20 minutes or when gently touched it bounces back and is not wet. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
5. ASSEMBLE. PREPARE THE MASCARPONE VANILLA CREAM by whisking all the ingredients together until the reach a firm and pipeable consistency. Do not overwhip. Transfer into a pastry bag fitted with a large piping tip. (20mm)
Spread the strawberry jam on top of the frangipane then line the center with halved strawberries, standing upright. Pipe the mascarpone vanilla cream around the strawberries to create a mount. With the help of a small offset spatula, spread the cream evenly to create a mount in the centre.
WHIP THE STRAWBERRY WHIPPED GANACHE, then transfer into a pastry pag fitted with a Mont Blanc pastry tip. Pipe vermicelli of the whipped ganache over the top to fully cover the tart.
Finish with fresh strawberries, raspberries and mint. Place the finished tart in the fridge to chill slightly before serving.
