05 July 2012

Strawberry Custard Tart

Hairdressers.
They're either people you'd love or people you'd hold a grudge with. 

I went to a reputable saloon a few nights ago. I was excited. I was anxious. After directing the lady very specifically, she began prepping my hair. And that moment her hands touched my hair, I apologized to my previous hairdresser.

As she combed pulled my hair like you would to feathers of a chicken, ignoring the constant clicks of my impatient tongue, I knew I was in deep mumbo jumbo.

Then the first cut.
I stared at the mirror.
(scissors snapped) "Wait a second." 
(scissors snapped) "No.. no.. That wasn't 2 inches."
I sit there, my hair as a hostage. As the scissors continued its path of destruction, from the corner of my eye, on the floor, lay my hair 4 maybe 5 inches long. 
(scissors snapped) "you..."
(scissors snapped) "you..."
(scissors snapped) "F*ck you bitch!!!"
"F*ck.... (scissors snapped) you..."


Pastry: 9" baking pan and 3" height on the sides.
Custard: fills in two-third the height of the pastry.

Shortcrust Pastry
200 g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
120 g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
2-4 tbsp ice water
Note: Butter is more smoothly combined into the flour in a short dough. Hence, pastry is not flaky or light.
1. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it forms the texture of bread crumbs.
2. Make a well in the middle and pour 2 tbsp of ice water. Using your fingers like a claw, turn and twist to combine. If dough is still not formed, add 2 more tbsp of water, turn and twist. (The amount of water needed varies with the absorbability of the flour itself).
3. Form a ball, dust counter with flour and knead 2-3 times. Wrap in a plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from fridge, dust the counter and roll out into the thickness of a gold coin (one-eight of an inch). When lifted up, you should be able to make out the shadow of your hand from behind the dough.
5. Fit into desired baking pan and knead the sides into an even layer. Cut off the excess. Wrap and chill. This can be chilled until you need it.
6. Preheat oven to 375F. Prick the dough with a fork and bake for 20 minutes. If the dough rises due to air pocket, use the back of a metal spoon to flatten. Increase temperature to 400F and bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let chill in pan for 10 minutes before placing it on a cooling rack.

Custard
3 egg yolks
140 g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
25 g plain flour
30 g corn starch/ corn flour
600 ml milk.
6 tbsp rum (optional)
1. In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and 40 g of sugar. Mix until yolks turn pale and double its volume. Add salt and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine both flours with a little milk. Strain to avoid lumps and add into the yolk mixture.
4. In a medium pan, heat the remaining milk and sugar over low heat. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Milk and sugar burns easily and will leave a burnt scent.
5. When milk boils, pour the egg yolk mixture whilst stirring. Stir over low heat until custard thickens. When custard seems to curdle unevenly, continue stirring over heat and custard will smoothen.
6. When desired texture is acquired, remove from heat. Take note that custard needs to be thicker for a bigger tart to allow cutting.
7. Remove from heat and let cool at room temp. Add rum. Chill in fridge.

Strawberry Custard Tart
9" shortcrust pastry
1 custard recipe
250 g strawberries, washed.
1 tbsp jam, melted OR 1 tbsp icing sugar
Assemble:
1. Allow both pastry and custard to cool to room temp. Fill pastry with sufficient custard.
2. Line the tart with Strawberries as desired.
3. Brush strawberries with melted jam OR dust with icing sugar. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Experience.
Jes

18 comments:

  1. This looks amazing as always. I like how your strawberries are sitting up whole. I tend to cut mine up and it's such a pain. re: hairdresser - I feel your pain!

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  2. ps. urggh. My 'reply' button sometimes works and doesn't for me. It used to work but now it doesn't let me 'reply' to comments. Going to go off and kick the PC now!

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    1. @ WokandSpoon: haha! Oh.. The blogger people must have caught up on you talking about them. I love you, blogger people (what a suck up)!

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  3. JAJAJAJA i know that feeling! I hate going to those places, i had to the other day to remove the black from my hair, i was there for 3 hours .. ouch ...

    Yummy tarttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

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    1. @ Noelia: I always begin with "I'm in a rush." Maybe that's why they always hate me and give me a bad haircut...

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  4. I feel you Jes! That 2-inches thing they say taken off our hair is a LIE. It's usually more.. however on the bright side, it's a new you. So work it babe ;p! Now to food. This is tempting me, and I am trying to resist. LOL. I have been so busy caught up with work that my poor treats blog is abandoned. Soon, I will be back soon.. meanwhile TGIF and have a wonderful weekend. xoxo, Jo

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    1. @ Jo: Oh man, me too.... I've been swamped and when i'm not, I just needed time to stare blankly into space. Talk soon!! :D

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  5. Oh man, so sorry about your hair cut... :-( I hate getting a hait cut, I wait till my hair is really long and I cannot avoid it anymore but have to go... I feel you!!!
    But those tarts look amazing!

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    1. @ Baltic Maid: Next time, I'm going for the gay hairdresser. They always know better!

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  6. Oh no! I hope the cut wasn't TOOOO bad? But, sounds like maybe it was. seriously, not much worse than that. Did these amazing tarts soothe your soul afterwards? I think they'd at least step you in that direction. What gorgeous wonderful little dessert!

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    1. @ Maggie: Lets say, it was a mistake. :D They did, I was blissful! But the next day, the weighing scale ruined my soul...

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  7. This looks AMAZING! I love the the look of whole strawberries sitting upright in a tart. Yum yum yum. And gosh, hairdressers... they're so untrustworthy!!

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  8. Mmmmmm... this tart looks so tasty and pretty - plus the strawberries look so juicy!

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    1. @ Alana: When you hand a tidy long hair to a hairdresser, its like handing a kitchen worth of cake ingredients, frostings and accessories to a crazy Jesica to play with. :D Discipline is key...

      @ Amy: I always prefer my food in big sizes (whole strawberries). Often, that leaves my little weighing scale very unhappy.

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  9. Strawberries are my favorite tart topping!

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  10. I feel your eyes growing big as you see more than 2 inches hair strands on the floor, all over the place. Oh no! My crowning glory and I have always kept a special bond. Sometimes hairdressers do not understand that. sigh! Just take relief from the thought that your hair will grow back as beautiful, prettier than ever.
    Or you can take relief from this wonderful treat. Strawberries always work wonders. And besides, think about the new do as a good change. Changes can be blessings at times...
    Changes...
    MyFudo is getting a new look, we are moving to a new domain www.yumgoggle.com, (previously myfudo.com) this has been a project we have been working on for almost a year now. We just launched our new gallery submission site, and we are just thrilled. Unique and interesting bloggers like you will make the Yumgoggle gallery more fun and exciting.

    We'd love you to join the latest virtual shindig that is all about photography, food, recipes, and culinary trends.
    We’d be proud to have your work as part of our growing collection to continue to have a larger reach and further inspire all fellow food lovers out there! Please sign up and check us out (it's free) www.yumgoggle.com/gallery

    You have always awed us with your pretty and perfect pictures. Allow our visitors to be awed too. We will be very glad if you can join us, Jes =)

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  11. is there such a thing as a reputable saloon? :) that must be a typo. :)
    AWESOME tart--i can't think of a finer use for fresh strawberries!

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  12. This is a gorgeous tart and your picture of it is scrumptious!

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