Strawberry Tart

This is a favorite tart recipe around here, a family request for many gatherings.

Simple flavors with a jellied syrup on top made with the strawberries' juices.

Quite different from the strawberry pie with jello, one of the most popular recipes on this blog.

It's an improved version of the strawberry pie I grew up with. My grandmother used sweetened sour cream for the filling and cornstarch for the topping.

It was simpler, but this recipe packs more strawberry flavor. 

In case you want to make it, I'm sharing the original version towards the end of this post. Either way, it's fabulous! 

The crust

I use my favorite sweet tart dough, a pie crust that is easy to make and bakes to a wonderful golden crust. It's a whole post dedicated to how to make this pie crust, with step-by-step images and instructions, and also a video!

If you have another favorite pie crust, by all means, use it.

And a graham cracker crust works well if you're short on time. 

The filling

• Strawberries: fresh is the way to go, as this is a seasonal pie. Cut them into bite-sized thick slices or chunks and use whole strawberries to decorate.
• Whipped cream: this creamy filling is made firmer by adding a few tablespoons of sour cream or cream cheese. It adds structure and a slight tanginess that is great for overall flavor balance. You can omit it but I recommend it.
• Unflavored gelatin: the original version used cornstarch, and I talk about it at the end of this post. I opt for unflavored gelatin so the topping is clear and shiny with no floury aftertaste.

Preparing the strawberries

Always use washed and dried berries.

Stem the strawberries you will use in the filling, leaving a few nice ones for decoration. 

The strawberry juice will be mixed with the gelatin and used in the jelly-like topping. This way, the flavor is all fresh strawberries!

Macerating: the strawberries are cut and mixed with sugar and left to macerate for a while. They will release their natural juices that will be part of the topping.

Draining the juice: put the macerated strawberries in a bowl that will later fit the colander you use, with space to let the juice fall without touching the strawberries.

Using gelatin

Many people don't want to use gelatin because they fear messing up or think it's complicated.

But in this recipe, it is hydrated in cold water and added to the hot juice. So you don't have to dissolve it by itself, which can be tricky. 

Standard ratio to hydrate gelatin is 5:1, that is five parts of water for every part of gelatin. This recipe uses 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin powder, so we hydrate it in 5 teaspoons of cold water.

Sprinkle the gelatin as evenly as possible. Don't add it all in the same place because it will have difficulty absorbing the water. You'll see as the gelatin slowly absorbs all the water. When the powder has disappeared, it's ready to use.

Add it to the hot strawberry juice. We use cold gelatin to simplify the process. So it must be added to a hot liquid that will dissolve it properly.

Vintage Kitchen tip: don't let the strawberry juice thicken too much or you won't be able to spread it easily. Let it stand until it barely begins to thicken.

Whipped cream

• Cold ingredients: make sure both the cream and the sour cream are cold. Keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. 
• Powdered sugar: we use it for whipped cream toppings because it's softer and dissolves well. Sift it before adding it so it's easier to incorporate.
• Medium peaks: this refers to the point of the cream, how soft or firm we choose to whip it. Use medium-firm peaks, that hold themselves enough to accommodate the strawberries on top. Whipped cream firms up when refrigerated, so it will have more structure when you eat it. 
• Cream layer: spread it evenly on the baked, cold pie shell. 

Pie assembly

Assemble it a few hours before serving, and refrigerate it until then. Why? Because the cream starts to moisten the crust, softening it in a good way. 

Make ahead: the sweet tart crust and the whipped cream can be made up to 2 days before you plan to serve it.

Gelatin topping

As explained before and in the recipe card, the cold gelatin is mixed into the hot strawberry juice. When it dissolves, wait for it to thicken slightly before pouring over the strawberries.

You can leave it at room temperature, which will take some time. Or you can speed it up by refrigerating it. Be careful here because you must stir it frequently while cooling in the fridge. Otherwise, the sides will solidify too much before the center thickens.

IMPORTANT: you want to add the jello topping while thick and cool but still pourable. It won't cover the strawberries as it should if it's too firm.

Original pie recipe

As I told you at the beginning of this post, this is my grandmother's recipe, and the original version was slightly different, yet also delicious.

• Pie crust: she used this flaky pie crust recipe.
• Sour cream: she used it instead of heavy cream, resulting in a tangier filling and not requiring whipping. I changed that because strawberries and cream are crowd-pleasers.
• Cornstarch: it's used instead of gelatin to thicken the strawberry drippings. Cook the strawberry juice with the dissolved cornstarch on low heat until thickened, similar to lemon curd. The finish will be a cloudy pink, as the cornstarch's whiteness and starchness overpower the juice's bright color.

Storing leftover pie

My best recommendation is to eat it the day you make it. It will be fresh and with a crisp crust. 

That said, this pie needs to be kept refrigerated and covered.

• The crust will start to soften (and create some sogginess as the days go by) from the cream and juices it's in contact with.
• The strawberries will wilt and dry out a little bit every day in the refrigerator. Covering the tart will partially delay it.