->Straw Custard Tart <-

8 to 10 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces 1/2 cup powdered sugar (3 ounces)

1 egg

1/2 egg yolk

1 Tablespoon water

2 teaspoons vanilla Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

4 eggs

1 cup sugar (7 ounces)

1 teaspoon vanilla or to taste Pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup red currant jelly

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced Insert steel knife into food processor. Combine all ingredients

except flour in work bowl and mix using 6 on/off turns, then process

5 seconds. (Small pieces of butter will remain.) Add flour and process until dough begins to mass together, do not form ball and overprocess. Place dough in plastic bag. Press into ball, then

flatten into disc. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Butter 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Roll pastry out on

lightly floured surface into circle about 1/8 inch thick. Press

into bottom and sides of prepared pan. Trim dough 1 inch beyond

edge of pan. Fold inch under to form double thickness on sides.

Press firmly into place with pastry extending 1/4 inch above the

edge of pan. Crimp edge decoratively. Prick bottom and sides of

crust with fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line

pastry with parchment paper and fill with dried beans, rice or pie

weights. Bake until just set, about 12 minutes. Remove paper and beans, prick crust again and continue baking until bottom of crust

10 to 15 minutes

if necessary.)

Meanwhile, prepare custard: insert steel knife. Combine eggs,

sugar, vanilla and salt in work bowl and blend 1 minute, stopping

to scrape down sides of bowl. With machine running, pour cream

through feed tube and mix 5 seconds. Reduce oven temperature to

325 degrees. Pour custard into crust. Bake until custard is medium

22 to

minutes. Cool crust completely on wire rack.

For topping: Melt currant jelly in small saucepan over low heat.

Using soft pastry brush, carefully spread thin layer of melted

jelly over surface of cooled custard. Arrange strawberry slices

in concentric circles over top, overlapping slightly. Brush

strawberries and edge of crust with remaining jelly.

Crust and custard can be baked one day ahead and refrigerated.

Bring to room temperature, then add strawberry topping up to several

hours before serving.