Rico's Erdbeer Toertli - Wild Strawberry Tarts in Puff Pastry Crusts

Adapted from Rico’s Kunststuben, Küsnacht, Switzerland.

These lively strawberry tarts are pictured with decorations made from spun caramel and several different sauces. This recipe is for the tarts themselves only.

Makes 6 individual tarts

One sheet 12- to 14-ounce sheet all-butter puff pastry

Pastry cream (recipe follows)

Tiny height of season strawberries, rinsed and hulled, or wild strawberries

Confectioners’ sugar

1. To form the crusts, roll the dough to a 12-inch square. Use a pastry wheel to cut into two 4- x 12-inch strips and four 1- x 12-inch strips.
2. Place the 4-inch strips on a parchment covered baking sheet and use a fork to pierce the dough at 14-inch intervals; brush the long edges with water. Apply one of the 1-inch strips to each of the 12-inch edges of the larger ones. Press well to adhere.
3. Bake the strips at 375 degrees until well risen and deep golden, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.
4. To finish, spread the interior area of each strip with pastry cream and top with the strawberries, piling them on rather than arranging them. Cut the strips every 4 inches to make squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving.

Pastry Cream

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the pastry cream, bring the milk, cream and half the sugar to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk the remaining sugar with the flour, then whisk in the yolks. Whisk a third of the boiling milk mixture into the yolk mixture. Return the milk to a simmer and whisk in the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Allow to boil, whisking constantly, about half a minute. Off heat, whisk in the vanilla. Scrape the cream into a glass bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface. Chill until cold.