Nowadays, “higher, faster, further” is the chosen motto for many people. Expectations have risen, especially regarding the speed of things happening. Particularly online. People want their information served up quickly and as conveniently as possible. For food bloggers, this often means facing demands for recipes that can be whipped up in five minutes using just five ingredients. Well…while this (pretty much) “Zero” Effort Strawberry Tart is quick to prepare and, for once, doesn’t require a long list of ingredients, unfortunately, it still can’t be finished in five minutes. Sorry!
I have to admit that I’ve developed a bit of an aversion to social media over the last few years. When it all started, I was incredibly enthusiastic and used pretty much every platform extensively. But things have changed a lot since then. Especially in the foodie world, so much content is just a copy of a copy of a copy. Anyone wanting to get noticed tries to generate viral hits, but typically, that just means copying and repeating someone else’s work.
I’m not completely off the hook here. Anyone who shares their work on Instagram and other social media platforms naturally wants it to be seen. When the things you usually post don’t really catch on anymore, you might try to put out some “more viral” content. That’s why you’ll find recipes on my page for things like Turkish Pasta, Dumpling Lasagna, Veggie Kebab with Tofu, and Crookies.
BUT… I’m actually quite picky when it comes to these viral trends. I don’t just try everything at random and post it just for the clicks and likes. The recipes have to be something special and actually work – which isn’t always the case with a lot of TikTok and Instagram trends. And, of course, it has to taste delicious. That’s why you’ll never find things like »Dot Cakes« or raw cookie dough for snacking here or on my socials… 😉
Well. This delicious strawberry tart isn’t a viral trend, but I am deviating from my »usual« recipes. Instead of making everything from scratch, I’ve made an exception here and used a few ready-made products to keep things as simple as possible. Higher, faster, further, do you remember? After all, someone without a pantry full of baking ingredients or specialized equipment should still be able to put something delicious (and homemade) on the table.
If you want to keep the effort to a minimum, a recipe like this one is exactly what you need. Ready-made dough from the supermarket fridge, a pudding cream made from a packet mix, and a few fresh strawberries on top – that’s basically all there is to it. It’s quick and easy, although unfortunately not very customizable.
The ready-made dough is actually fine and will give you a good result. It doesn’t compare to a classic shortcrust pastry, but it works perfectly well as a tart base. I have to be a bit more critical regarding the pudding cream. If you enjoy the taste of instant pudding mixes, you won’t have a problem, but personally, I find the flavor a bit too artificial. There’s no real vanilla in it, and the pudding mix also contains ingredients I’d never use at home… all just so the cream sets without cooking. You have to make some compromises somewhere, right?!
Of course, that doesn’t mean that strawberry tart turns out badly when made with those convenience products. Strawberries and pudding are a combination that almost always tastes delicious. However, you could also make everything from scratch. D’oh. In this case here our Strawberry Tart with Crème Pâtissière, for example. There you have full control over every element, although it does require a bit more effort to make.
We have plenty more to offer regarding tarts here on the blog. In 99.9% of cases, we don’t use ready-made dough or package mixes. Though, in some instances, you could easily swap things out. A simple tart base can almost always be replaced with a store-bought version. So, if you’d like to try something else, definitely check out our Strawberry Mascarpone Tartlets and perhaps our Raspberry Coconut Mousse Tart. Both are delicious treats and perfect if you want to snack on something sweet in summer!
INGREDIENTS / INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS / PREPARATION
1. Take the ready-made dough out of the fridge and let it sit briefly on the counter so it can warm up slightly and become easier to work with. Lightly grease a 28cm tart tin* (a smaller one is also fine). Unroll the dough, place it inside the tart tin, and press it firmly against the bottom and sides. If the dough overlaps around the edges, simply tuck it in or trim it off. Prick the dough several times with a fork. Place the tart tin with the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Remove the tart tin with the dough from the fridge, place a piece of baking parchment on top of the dough, and fill up with some ceramic pie weights*, dried beans, rice, or similar. Blind-bake the crust for about 15 minutes. After this time, remove the backing parchment and weights, and bake the crust for another 8–12 minutes at the same temperature. The crust should get a nice golden color. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
3. For the pudding cream, mix the milk with the cream powder according to the package instructions. Immediately spread the cream on top of the tart crust and smooth out the surface.
4. Remove the green stems from the strawberries, then wash and dry or drain them. Halve or quarter the strawberries as desired and arrange them on the layer of pudding cream. The strawberries should be placed close together (neatly or randomly doesn’t matter) to avoid larger gaps inbetween.
5. Mix the cake glaze powder with sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until a thick glaze forms (follow the instructions on the package). Immediately spoon the warm glaze onto the strawberries, coating as many of them completely as possible. Place the finished tart in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the glaze and pudding cream to set properly.
1. Take the finished dough out of the fridge and let it sit for a while so that it can warm up a little and is easier to process. Lightly grease a 28cm tart tin* (smaller is also ok). Unroll the dough, place it in the mold and press it into the bottom and sides. If the dough overlaps at the edge, simply fold it in and press it into place or cut it off. Prick the dough base several times with a fork. Place the mold and dough in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) top/bottom heat. Take the mold with the dough out of the fridge, place a piece of baking paper on the dough and then fill it with ceramic baking beans*, dried beans, rice or similar. Blind bake the base for about 15 minutes. After this time, remove the baking paper and the baking beans Bake the base at the same temperature for another 8-12 minutes – the floor should have a nice golden color. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
3. For the pudding cream, mix the milk with the powder for the cream according to the package instructions. Immediately spread the resulting cream evenly over the cooled tart base and smooth it out.
4. Remove the green from the strawberries, then wash and dry or drain. Halve or quarter as desired and top the tart with it. If possible, the strawberries should be placed close together (tidy or wild doesn’t matter) so that there are no large gaps.
5. Mix the cake icing powder with sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture or bring it to the boil until you get a thick cake icing (follow the instructions on the package). Quickly spread the warm icing over the strawberries with a spoon and cover all of the strawberries if possible. Place the finished tart in the refrigerator for at least 1 hourso that the cake icing and pudding cream can set nicely.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Description
Why make it harder for yourself than necessary? This “Zero” Effort Strawberry Tart is super easy to make and really delicious. Win-win for everyone!
1 roll of refrigerated ready-made tart dough (eg, from Aunt Fanny*)
2 cups (500ml) regular milk
2 sachets of instant pudding cream*
17–25 oz. (500–700g) fresh strawberries
1 sachet of red cake glaze*
2 tbsp. sugar
1 cup (250ml) of water
1. Take the ready-made dough out of the fridge and let it sit briefly on the counter so it can warm up slightly and become easier to work with. Lightly grease a 28cm tart tin* (a smaller one is also fine). Unroll the dough, place it inside the tart tin, and press it firmly against the bottom and sides. If the dough overlaps around the edges, simply tuck it in or trim it off. Prick the dough several times with a fork. Place the tart tin with the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Remove the tart tin with the dough from the fridge, place a piece of baking parchment on top of the dough, and fill up with some ceramic pie weights*, dried beans, rice, or similar. Blind-bake the crust for about 15 minutes. After this time, remove the backing parchment and weights, and bake the crust for another 8–12 minutes at the same temperature. The crust should get a nice golden color. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
3. For the pudding cream, mix the milk with the cream powder according to the package instructions. Immediately spread the cream on top of the tart crust and smooth out the surface.
4. Remove the green stems from the strawberries, then wash and dry or drain them. Halve or quarter the strawberries as desired and arrange them on the layer of pudding cream. The strawberries should be placed close together (neatly or randomly doesn’t matter) to avoid larger gaps in between.
5. Mix the cake glaze powder with sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until a thick glaze forms (follow the instructions on the package). Immediately spoon the warm glaze onto the strawberries, coating as many of them completely as possible. Place the finished tart in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the glaze and pudding cream to set properly.
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