Easy Strawberry Tarts

You just need a few simple ingredients to make these easy strawberry tarts – they are the most delicious Summer treat! Crisp, buttery sweet pasty topped with fresh cream, strawberries and strawberry sauce.

I’ve been buying strawberries like crazy lately.  The minute they come into season, I’m drawn to them like bees to a honeypot.  I adore them.  I love eating them, but I also love baking with them. Strawberry galette, strawberry cobbler and this gorgeous strawberry ice cream pie are a few of my go-to Summer desserts.

Strawberries aren’t just for sweet treats though. They are also lovely in salads. Give my grilled goats cheese and strawberry salad a try and I’m sure you will agree.

 I picked up a special offer two packs for the price of one in my local supermarket not expecting much, but they were wonderful.

They were so close to the homegrown strawberries I remember as a child – which sadly is a pretty rare thing.

 We ate most of them straight out of the packet, but I’ve been craving a Scottish strawberry tart for some time now.  

I’m aware that strawberry tarts are not strictly Scottish, but they are definitely a big thing here. As soon as the Summer strawberries appear, you’ll find these pretty strawberry-glazed tarts in bakeries up and down the Country. They are usually small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (preferably, one in each hand). They are the perfect Summertime treat.

Whenever I make these, they disappear in the blink of an eye. This is my homespun version of them!

ingredient list

scroll to the bottom of the post for a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Tips for making scottish strawberry tarts

• When a recipe has just a handful of ingredients, using the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on is essential.  

• I make my own sweet pastry for this recipe. It’s crisp, buttery and delicious. You can get ahead of time by making it a couple of days in advance if you like.

• No time to make your own pastry? You can use ready-made tart shells or ready-rolled sweet shortcrust pastry instead. But please don’t be put off by the idea of making pastry – it doesn’t take long to make and is a foolproof recipe. I promise!

• Many Scottish bakeries use synthetic (commonly known as “mock”) cream in strawberry tarts. I personally much prefer using real cream! I sweeten the cream with a little icing sugar and vanilla extract, but this is optional. To make this recipe even easier, you could use extra thick double cream – you can simply spoon it directly into the cases straight from the tub.

• Don’t overfill the pastry cases with whipped cream. Just a small amount is needed because once you place the strawberry on top, the cream will squish out and make a right old mess!

• Place a nice large strawberry on top of the cream. Cut the base of the strawberry with a sharp knife so it sits nice and straight. Finally, drizzle over the strawberry sauce. It will take a couple of goes to figure out how much sauce to use, but once you’ve done a couple of tarts it will be a breeze.

where can i buy strawberry tart jelly?

To make these tarts as close to the ones they sell in Scottish bakeries in the Summer, you need bottled strawberry sauce/glaze.  This is also known as “strawberry tart jelly” and is sometimes sold in Delis.  You can also buy it here. Tate and Lyle also make strawberry sauce – it has a thinner consistency so it’s not quite as good, but it will work in a pinch.

I have tried to make the sauce myself, but to be honest? It just isn’t the same.  I’ve also tried to make this recipe as simple as possible and boiling down vast quantities of strawberries, sugar and arrowroot is not my idea of “easy!”

alternatives

If you can’t get hold of any bottled strawberry sauce, then you can use strawberry jam or jelly as a glaze.  Simmer 5-6 tablespoons of the jam with the same amount of water, stirring well until smooth and slightly syrupy.  If the jam is “bitty” you might need to press it through a sieve.  Leave to cool before spooning over the strawberry tarts. 

storing fresh strawberry tarts

Fresh strawberry tarts should ideally be eaten on the day they are made, but they will still taste pretty good the day after. I’ve never had any left after 24 hours, so don’t ask me if they last any longer! They should be stored in the fridge to prevent the fresh cream from spoiling. Keep them in a box or airtight container.

got any questions?

If you have any questions about this recipe or need any help, just ask! Leave a comment below or contact me on Instagram.

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Yield: Makes 16 small or 12 medium strawberry tarts

Easy Strawberry Tarts

4.6 Stars (9 Reviews)

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These easy strawberry tarts are very simple to make and are perfect for a Summer treat!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes

Ingredients

• FOR THE PASTRY:
• 250g plain flour
• 75g icing sugar
• 125g cold salted butter, cut into small dice
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• FOR THE FILLING:
• 350ml double (heavy) cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon icing sugar, sieved
• 16 fresh strawberries
• FOR THE GLAZE:
• Small bottle ready made strawberry sauce

Instructions

1. Start by making the sweet tart dough. Place the flour and icing sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine, then add the butter cubes. Pulse once more until you have a mixture resembling breadcrumbs.
2. With the motor running, pour most of the egg and vanilla extract down the funnel. Stop the machine as soon as the mixture sticks together and resembles dough. Take care not to overwork the dough or your pastry will be tough. Work the dough into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and rest in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
3. When you're ready to make the pastry cases, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit out for about 10-15 minutes. If you try and roll it out straight from the fridge, it will crack. Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking parchment or a lightly floured surface. Using a fluted cutter, cut out shapes roughly the same size as your tart tin holes.
4. Line your tart tin with the pastry. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork. This will stop the pastry from puffing up during baking.
5. Chill the pastry cases for about 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/Gas mark 4. Bake the pastry cases for about 10-12 minutes. They may need a couple of minutes more or less depending on your own oven, so start checking them after 10. They don't take long to go from lightly golden to dark brown!
6. When the pastry cases look light golden and crisp, remove them from the oven and leave in the tins for about 5-10 minutes before removing. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. When you're ready to assemble the strawberry tarts, whip the cream, vanilla extract and sieved icing sugar to soft peaks. Spoon the cream into the cold pastry cases, top with a hulled strawberry and pour over the strawberry sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you can't find bottled strawberry sauce, then strawberry jam or jelly can be used as a glaze.  Simmer 5-6 tablespoons of the jam with the same amount of water, stirring well until smooth and slightly syrupy.  If the jam is "bitty" you will need to press it through a sieve.  Leave to cool before spooning over the strawberry tarts.

Fresh strawberry tarts should be stored in the fridge immediately and eaten within 24 hours of making.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 149Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g

Calories and Nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only.

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