We deviated from our standard strawberry tart recipe and baked this for our easter lunch. It is an interesting hybrid  between the classic tart and the greek galaktoboureko and great when eaten same day. We kept some in the fridge for the next day, but the baked filling turned too solid. The moral of the story is, bake it for same day consumption.

(Based on a recipe from Ottolenghi “The Cookbook”)

For the sweet pastry

• 330g plain flour
• 100g icing sugar
• zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 180g cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 345ml milk
• 180ml whipping cream
• 60g caster sugar
• 80g butter
• 1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and seeds scrapped out
• 60g semolina
• 1 egg
• 200g strawberries
• icing sugar, to garnish

For the sweet pastry, combine flour, sugar, salt,lemon zest and the butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Change to the hook attachment and add the egg yolk and the cold water. Continue mixing  until dough comes together to form a ball. If necessary add a tiny amount of extra water.Turn the mixture out onto a plastic wrap and shape into a disc. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until needed. The pastry will keep in the refrigerator for a week and about a month in the freezer.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface until approximately 3mm thick.

Butter a 24cm tart tin (with removable bottom, if you have one) and line with the pastry, making sure to press into the sides and trim the excess with a sharp knife.*Patch up any holes with excess pastry if necessary. Prick all over the base of the tart with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170C.

Cut a large circle of baking parchment and scrunch it  up a couple of times. Lay it over the pastry base, fill with beans or coins and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until it is very light brown. Remove the beans or coins and parchment and return to the oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the semolina filling, combine milk, whipping cream, vanilla bean and seeds,butter and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and let it simmer as you gently whisk in the semolina. Continue whisking until the mixture comes back to the boil and thickens. Remove from the heat, remove the vanilla pod and whisk in the egg.

Pour the semolina mixture into the pastry case and push half the strawberries inside, allowing them to show on the surface.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the tart tin.

Serve with the remaining strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar.

* I usually store the leftover dough in a plastic wrap in the freezer for later use.