I made these strawberry & elderflower tarts a few weeks ago when there were elderflowers everywhere. I picked a large bag and made a couple of bottles of elderflower cordial. I’ve always wanted to try making elderberry wine, but I’ve never been able to get to them by the time they’re ripe and before the birds get to them.
So I settle for the cordial, but if anyone knows where I can try elderberry wine let me know in the comments please! I love to drink elderflower cordial with sparkling water, or add some to my gin and tonic but I like to use it in baking too. It goes so well with strawberries, that I had to pair it with them, in these delicious strawberry & elderflower tarts.
I always moan about blind baking on the blog, which made me decide to bake a tart case blind so that I can hopefully get better at it. Instead of trying to just avoid it, as that wont get me anywhere. These light pastry cases are filled with an elderflower creme diplomat and topped with sliced strawberries.
If you don’t have any homemade elderflower cordial, shop bought will be just as good. Try to make this when strawberries are in season as they will taste so much sweeter and juicier. I have so many strawberries at the moment I can’t keep up with them. I have friends that have kindly been supplying me with them as they’re currently in season in the UK. I’ve made jam and I currently have some in the freezer that I might use in a pie with some rhubarb, that I’ve also kindly been given.
Strawberry & Elderflower Tarts
Ingredients
- ***Pate Brisee***
- 250 g Plain Flour sifted
- 5 g Salt
- 10 g Caster Sugar
- 150 g Unsalted Butter cold and cubed
- 20 g Egg Yolk
- 40 ml Water
- ***Creme Diplomat***
- 250 ml Milk
- 60 g Egg Yolk
- 50 g Caster Sugar
- 25 g Flour
- 2 g Leaf Gelatine
- 150 ml Double Cream
- 2 Tbsp Elderfllower Cordial
- 400 g Strawberries
Instructions
- Begin by making the creme patissiere, soak the gelatine in some cold water and leave to soften.
- Combine the eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until it comes to a boil, then add half to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add the rest of the milk and then return the mixture to the pan and whisk until thickened.
- Squeeze out the gelatine to remove the excess water, add it to the creme patissiere and stir to combine.
- Place the creme patissiere in a bowl and cover with clingfilm and place it in the fridge to cool.
- Next make the pastry, place the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, add in the butter and mix with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs, and no lumps of butter remain.
- Add the egg and water and mix to combine the dough. Wrap the finished pastry in clingfilm and chill for at least one hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C FAN/180C and take your pastry out of the fridge. Cut the pastry into eight equal sized pieces and roll out a piece to a thickness of 3mm and use it to line the individual tins that are 7.5cm in diameter. Prick holes in the pastry with a fork and place the pastry in the fridge to chill. Repeat this with the remaining 7 pieces of pastry.
- Bake the pastry blind for 10 minutes, by filling them with a layer of greaseproof paper and baking beans or rice. After 10 minutes remove the paper and baking beans and cook the pastry for another 15 minutes.
- Take the pastry cases from the oven and allow them to cool.
- Take the whipped cream and whisk it in a large bowl until it is stiff. Take the creme patissiere from the fridge and stir it to loosen it. Add the whipped cream to the creme patissiere and fold it in gently and evenly.
- Return the creme diplomat to the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Take the pastry cases and spoon in the creme diplomat, top with thin slices of strawberry in whatever pattern you like.
- Eat as soon as possible, or the strawberries will start to weep and the pastry will begin to soften.
Thanks for reading.
Angela
Mary
I have managed to find a bottle of Elderflower Cordial here in New Zealand but after reading and re-reading the recipe I can’t see when to add it to the mixture. Maybe it’s really there but I’m just not seeing it. Do I heat it with the milk or add to the cream when I whip it? Can’t wait to make the ‘cream’ mixture and don’t want to wait for strawberry season.
Jodie Dodd
So beautiful! I give you a ton of credit Angela, I hate slicing strawberries! You really have to take your time to have them look so lovely on the tart. Never had elderflower anything and elderflower cordial sounds refreshing. It’s really cool that you can just go out and pick wild flowers and make so much out of them.
Marta / What should I eat for breakfast today
I so wanted to use elderflower this year. `I hope to try it soon 😀
patisseriemakesperfect
Elderflower is such an amazing ingredient. You’ll have to come to England on one of your trips to harvest some!
Sugar et al.
Super pretty tartlets! I love the flavours too. We have an abundance of strawberries this season (we have winter strawberries here) but no elderflower at the moment. Bookmarking your recipe to try later.
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Sonali! The flavours go so well together, but you could make these with a vanilla creme patissiere too. x
michelle @ hummingbird high
this is really cute. i love the way you arrange the strawberries!
patisseriemakesperfect
It took me ages to balance the strawberries – I was so ready to give in!
Catering in Den Haag
Amazing pictures and tasty recipe! Thanks for sharing.
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you for commenting.
Ren
Absolutely stunning, Angela. Love every photo and can’t wait to try these. Ren x
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Ren – you’ll love them.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
Oh yum! What a lovely combination of flavours. I love strawberries and they look so pretty in these tarts.
patisseriemakesperfect
Thanks Jemma, strawberries are great when they’re in season aren’t they?
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet
These starry strawberry tartlets are sooooo pretty! Elderflower puts an unusual twist on it too.
patisseriemakesperfect
Definitely Michelle – it’s so delicious.
Edyta at Innocent Delight
These look beautiful and I am intrigued by your recipe. I will try to look for elderflower cordial
patisseriemakesperfect
Give it a go Edyta – you’d love it!
Felesha Bell
I’ve never worked with elderflower before but these look like a great place to start! Yummy!!
patisseriemakesperfect
Elderflower is such a perfumed and delicious taste – you’d really like it I’m sure.
Brandi Crawford
These tarts look amazing! I have never used elderflower. This looks like something I need to make!
patisseriemakesperfect
Brandi you would love these!
Annie @ Annie's Noms
I’ve never made my own elderberry cordial, but I’ve always wanted to. What a great way to use your cordial; these tarts are just beautiful!! I really should make time to go out and pick some next year!
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Annie – these tarts are so lovely. Definitely try elderflower cordial.
Hannah Hossack-Lodge
These are so pretty Angela! I love elderflower cordial but I didn’t get round to picking any this year to make my own. My parents used to make elderberry wine a long time ago when we had a tree in our back garden, I’ve never tried making it myself though.
patisseriemakesperfect
Wow elderberry wine sounds amazing. Thanks Hannah for your lovely words.