Strawberry Creme Fraiche Tart

Simple, Seasonal + Stress Free

🎉 Welcome to my newsletter, The Boy Who Bakes, a subscriber-supported newsletter, dedicated to all things baked. For more bonus posts, filled with exclusive recipes, you can become a paid subscriber for the weekly newsletter, Second Helpings. It costs just £5 a month and, as well as the weekly recipes, also unlocks access to the full archive of past recipes. To subscribe, to either the paid or free newsletter, click the link below.🎉

Hello, happy Friday!

A short and sweet post for you this week as I have been busy with a few exciting projects. The kitchen is inching its way across the finish line (a major hiccup with the flooring delaying us again) and I spent a couple days emptying out the storage unit so we could use the kitchen the second it is ready. I am so excited to get into the space, to share it with you guys, to use it make the best baking content I possibly can! It has been a long time coming; years and years of saving up, nine months of planning and six long months of building work. Mainly, I am just excited to stop baking in my bedroom! It also hilarious how drawn out this final stage feels. We’ve had the appliances in for a couple weeks but the kitchen sits unused because everything else is unfinished it is like the oven is taunting me, begging to be turned on and used but sat there waiting patiently. I also submitted the first round of edits for my big (probably not so secret new book) project and I spent a considerable amount of time going over the pages, looking at design options and the incredible photography. I cant say anything about it yet but just know this is something I have been trying to get published for many years and is something I am so incredibly proud of and excited for. I think it’s my best work yet and also something that you’ll hopefully all absolutely love!

But, in the midst of that incredibly busy week, I wanted to bake something simple, something that felt appropriate for the glorious sunshine we had this week. All I could think about was strawberries.

Because strawberries seem especially good this year – plump and juicy and absolutely bursting with flavour – I wanted to make something simple to celebrate the flavours of summer. Wimbledon is also around the corner, so of course strawberries and cream were on my mind. To be honest, when strawberries are in season, it’s practically always on my mind. I wanted to make something simple but impressive, something you’d be thrilled to serve to friends but easy enough to whip up on short notice. I made a puff pastry tart shell filled with a tangy crème fraîche custard and topped it with vanilla macerated strawberries. It is crisp and flaky, creamy with a subtle tang, bright and fresh and it just screams British summertime.

One question that comes up a lot is, do I make my own puff pastry? Is it really worth it? My answer is yes to both questions, but also sometimes no. I am a realist, and I know not everyone has the time or desire to knock out a batch of beautifully laminated pastry, no matter how enjoyable I find the process. I know that some people hate working with pastry and that shop-bought pastry is a great solution. I think sometimes using the shop-bought variety is looked down upon, as if making it homemade is the only way. But to me, that is nonsense. Do I think homemade puff pastry is better? Absolutely. Do I think it’s fun and worth trying? Of course. But I also think no one should ever feel like they’re cheating using something shop-bought. If you want to make this dessert with homemade rough puff pastry or even go all the way and make a batch of traditional puff pastry, then go for it. But, on a hot weekend, like we’re about to experience, I totally understand using the shop-bought stuff.