Italian Desserts Recipes - Fresh Strawberry Tart (Pasticcio di Fragole Fresche) Recipe

Ingredients                                 

• 450 g/1lb fresh whole strawberries

• 225 g/8 oz short crust pastry (basic pie crust)

• 15 g/1 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter for greasing

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup cream cheese

• 45 ml/3 tbsp soured (dairy sour) cream

• 45 ml/3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

• 45 ml/3 tbsp corn flour (cornstarch)

• 120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup water

• 175 ml/6 fl oz/3/4 cup double (heavy) cream, whipped

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Method:

1. Hull the strawberries. Roll out the pastry and line a greased 25 cm/10 in flan tin (pie pan).

2. Line with greaseproof (waxed) paper and add baking beans. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 190C/375F/gas mark 5.

3. Remove the flan case (pie shell) from the oven and set aside to cool. Beat the cream cheese and soured cream until well blended and spread over the cooled pie shell.

4. Arrange the whole strawberries over the cream mixture, reserving 6 large strawberries. Blend the sugar, corn flour and water in a saucepan.

5. Chop the reserved strawberries and add to the mixture and cook over a low heat until thick. Simmer for 1 minute and set aside to cool.

6. Pour over the strawberries and chill. Top with whipped cream just before serving.