Description

A delicate and elegant strawberry tart featuring a crisp almond and butter pastry shell filled with a creamy lavender and honey mascarpone blend, topped with fresh strawberries and a sprinkle of lavender sugar. This tart combines floral notes with sweet citrus accents, perfect for a refined dessert or special occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Pastry

225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g ground almonds
75g golden caster sugar
175g cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp water (approximate, to bind pastry)

Lavender Sugar

300g granulated sugar
¾ tbsp dried lavender (Bart used)

Filling

250g mascarpone
220ml double cream
4 tbsp lavender sugar (prepared above), plus extra to serve
4 tbsp lavender honey (or substitute with extra 2 tbsp lavender sugar)
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp orange juice (from the same orange)
2 tbsp lemon juice

Topping

700g strawberries, hulled

Instructions

Make the Pastry: In a food processor, combine plain flour, ground almonds, golden caster sugar, cold cubed butter, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs without over-processing. Transfer to a bowl. Beat the egg yolk with 1 tsp water, then gently mix into the dough with a cutlery knife until combined. Add a little extra water if needed. Form into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until firm.
Roll Out and Chill Pastry Case: Lightly flour a surface and roll out the pastry into a circle large enough to line a 25cm tart tin with a 3cm deep removable base. The dough can be fragile; if it breaks, press and patch directly in the tin. Prick the base all over with a fork, then place the tin in the freezer or coldest fridge section for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6).
Make Lavender Sugar: In a small food processor, blitz 300g granulated sugar and ¾ tbsp dried lavender for about 1 minute until thoroughly combined. Set aside for later use.
Blind Bake Pastry: Line the chilled pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the sides start to hold their shape. Remove the parchment and beans, then bake for a further 5-7 minutes until golden. Allow the pastry case to cool completely in the tin, then carefully remove it.
Prepare the Filling: Using a wooden spoon, beat mascarpone until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk double cream with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the mascarpone. Add 4 tbsp lavender sugar, lavender honey (or extra sugar if substituting), grated orange zest, orange juice, and lemon juice. Whisk gently to combine and adjust sweetness to taste.
Assemble the Tart: Spread or pipe the lavender honey cream into the cooled pastry case. Arrange hulled strawberries on top: either whole if small, or sliced approximately coin-thick if large, layering bigger slices in the center and smaller on the edges for an attractive pattern. Finish with a light dusting of lavender sugar before serving.

Notes

Use good quality, cold butter for a flakier pastry.
If lavender honey is unavailable, increasing lavender sugar adds the floral sweetness needed.
Be careful not to over-process almonds when making the pastry to avoid releasing too much oil.
Chilling the pastry both before and after lining the tart tin helps prevent shrinking during baking.
Ensure the cream is whipped to stiff peaks to hold the filling structure well.
Adjust the level of citrus juice to balance the floral sweetness as preferred.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: Strawberry tart, lavender cream, honey tart, almond pastry, floral dessert, mascarpone cream tart