August 21, 2017

Balsamic Strawberry & Basil Tart

I think I’ve found my new favorite non-chocolate dessert. Strawberry and balsamic is such a great combo, and I was recently inspired to add basil to the mix. I was hesitant to taste it, but OH. MY. It is amazing.

I’m always nervous about pie and tart recipes because I find the dough to be finicky, and you can’t taste it to make sure it came out okay before you serve it. This one, though, you make the filling in a separate bowl, so you’ll know its consistency before you put it into the shell. You can’t go wrong!

Well, that’s not true. My first pie crust collapsed on itself! But I gave it another go and I’m glad I did. As a note, I don’t provide a pie crust recipe below so if you have a favorite, use that. If you don’t, you can get pre-made crusts at the store!

I also was nervous about the balsamic because the glaze had a strong vinegar smell, but it’s so sweet and delicious. I started off putting just a little bit on, and then I went back and added A LOT more!

This dessert was so good, that I forgot to take photos. I guess I’ll just have to make it again soon…

Print Recipe

Balsamic Strawberry & Basil Tart

Ingredients

Tart

1 pie crust
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 cups sliced strawberries

Cream

1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup basil chopped

Glaze

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Tart

Brush crust with egg yolk and bake according to the crust's directions.
Cool slightly.
Spread softened butter over the crust and refrigerate while you make the cream.

Cream

Mix sugar, flour, corn starch, and egg yolks till thick and pale yellow.
Combine milk and basil in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat.
Strain out the basil, pour about 1/3 of the milk into the pale yellow mixture, then pour that back into the sauce pan.
Heat over medium, whisking constantly until thickened. When mixture begins to boil, cook for one more minute then remove from heat.
Pour mixture into a bowl, cover the surface with wax or parchment paper. Let cool, then refrigerate.
Once fully cooled, remove the shell and the cream from the fridge and spread the cream into the shell.
Lay the sliced strawberries over the top of the cream in a single layer.

Glaze

To make the glaze, stir the vinegar and powdered sugar together. Brush as much or as little glaze as desired over top.
Refrigerate until serving, up to 6 hours.