Fresh Strawberry Tart with Chocolate

Fresh Strawberry Tart with Chocolate

You do not need a "recipe" for this tart. :)

It is simply a baked pie crust ~ your favorite kind; pâte sucrée, or perhaps a press-in cookie crust, or even store-bought. Frozen pastry crust or pre-made graham crusts work as well.

I used my favorite Julia Child pâte sucrée, pricked/docked and baked blind. Allow the crust to cool then brush interior with your favorite melted chocolate.

Allow the chocolate to firm up, then arrange the trimmed berries in a pretty design.

Heat Strawberry jam, of good quality, until it melts (add a tablespoon or so of fruit flavored liqueur, or water to thin).

Allow glaze to cool a bit, then brush/drizzle over the berries.

Decorate the tart as desired; a drizzle of melted chocolate or chocolate leaves as I did this time.

For the chocolate leaves:

These are really easy to make ~ melt chocolate gently in a bowl over hot water, add a bit of non-hydrogenated solid shortening if desired (aids in firming up the chocolate as it cools.)

"Paint" a layer of the melted chocolate to the underside of a few small waxy (organic, non-sprayed) leaves, such as camellias. Allow them to cool, chocolate-side-up on a tray or plate in the refrigerator or freezer until firm.

When chocolate has firmed, gently peel the leaf from the chocolate coating.

Discard the green leaf and decorate with the chocolate leaf as desired.

I like it just the way it is, cool from the fridge, but you can certainly serve with whipped cream, ice cream or frozen yogurt.

If you make this, I hope it tastes delicious~

and that you like it as my family and friends do.