Try this amazing White Chocolate Tart with Balsamic Strawberries for something different. White chocolate can be cloying and…..white…… and a bit sweet, but have you tried it with strawberries and balsamic? You must!
White Chocolate Strawberry Tart with Balsamic
We are in the depths of winter here in Australia and this tart is white as the snow but it has the promise of better times, sun and berries. The Queenslanders’-(the northernmost state of Australia, where there are tropical beaches and Strawberries in the winter), have been busy growing these ones. This tart isn’t just for winter though it’s for anytime you want a really stunning looking dessert. It’s made ahead of time and works with all kinds of berries
Adding a sweet and sour flavour to this white chocolate tart may leave you surprised at the transformation. Make sure that you use a lovely balsamic vinegar and some good quality white couverture for the best results. If you can’t find a really nice balsamic then just use less and add a bit more sugar in your balsamic mixture.
White Chocolate Strawberry Tart with Balsamic
A stunning dessert to make ahead and relax at dessert time.This recipes mentions Australian cup and spoon measurements
Ingredients
Pastry
- 80 gm icing sugar pure / confectioners sugar 2.80 oz
- 150 gm butter softened, unsalted 5.30 oz
- 100 gm eggs approx 2 3.5 oz
- 50 gm almond meal 1.75 oz
- 250 gm flour 8.80oz
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 300 gm white chocolate
- 200 gm butter unsalted
- 2 eggs
- 2 yolks
- 100 gm caster sugar granulated sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean scrapped
Marinated Strawberries
- 250 gm strawberries 1 punnet
- 30 gm brown sugar 2 Tablepoons
- 40 ml balsamic preferably sweet aged balsamic
Instructions
- I used a 20cm / 8inch round shallow ring tin. Set the oven temperature for blind baking 180C/350F. Turn the oven temperature down for cooking the white chocolate filling 160C/320F
To make the Pastry
- Cream the softened butter and sugar in a mixer till light and fluffy. Add almond meal, vanilla and eggs and beat again.
- Add the flour and mix till just combined. Tip onto the bench and push together with floured hands. This dough is sticky and needs to be refrigerated till firm before using.
- Flatten the pastry into a disc and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate till firm ( approx an hour or pop in the freezer.)
- Take out of the fridge and sit till just pliable. Roll it using as little additional flour as possible using a flat palette knife to make sure it is not stuck to the bench between rolling with a rolling pin. Alternatively, roll between two pieces of baking paper with a little sprinkle of flour. Roll as thin as possible. Lay into the tart tin and chill again. If it breaks push the pieces together quite well so there are no gaps and save left over bits of pastry or repairs.
- Bake blind, lined with paper and beans for approx 15 minutes before removing the paper and baking till golden (another 10-15 min)
Filling
- Melt the butter and chocolate together
- This may look a little ugly and grainy but will correct when combined with the other ingredients. Cool a little.
- Beat the eggs and sugar and the vanilla till light and white and fluffy.
- Fold the chocolate mixture through the eggs being careful not to over mix and deflate the air in the eggs. Pour into the tart case and bake 15 minutes for a shallow tin and 20-25 minutes for a deeper one. The top should form a crust while the inside stays soft. ( If the tart starts to colour take it out). Once cooled refrigerate the tart for a couple of hours, just to set. After this it can be left out.
- Mix the balsamic and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut the strawberries in half and toss them in the balsamic, let them stand for about 1/2 an hour.
- Serve the strawberries with the tart . Basil also works nicely with this
- No Strawberries ? Don’t like balsamic?
- This tart works with passionfruit …..so well. Put a teaspoon of passionfruit juice in the filling then serve with sweetened passionfruit pulp
Notes
This pastry is like shortbread. It is soft to work with so make sure it is chilled well. If it breaks push together well so that it sticks when baked.
It can be repaired if there is a crack when you remove the blind baking paper. Just gently push some raw dough into the cracked piece and put back into the oven to finish the baking
The white chocolate will be balanced very well between the sweetness of the chocolate and the balsamic with the strawberries
Watch this guide for rolling pastry
Interesting – like most of the other commenters, I don’t bake with white chocolate very often because of the sweetness, but with the brightness and acidity of the strawberries and balsamic I’m sure it is lovely. What is the consistency of the finished custard?
Well its not really a custard. More like a chocolate ganache filling really
Oh this looks so lovely. I’m not a fan of white chocolate as I agree it is too sweet, but the balsamic would solve that problem perfectly! Yuumo!
Beautiful tart, Tania. I love the idea of using chocolate in the filling 🙂
Looks lovely 🙂 Strawberry & Balsamic together is always nice but adding white chocolate would take things to another level I bet!
This looks delish, and I love all the other ideas in the linky. YUM!
I make a similar tart without the balsamic (and much simpler too ;)) and the berries and white chocolate are so nice together! 🙂
The white chocolate tart looks stunning topped with the balsamic berries!
I really, really want to eat this 🙂
I do love white chocolate but yes, it can be a bit too sweet. But the tart berries would balance that out nicely – great idea.
Thanks for joining this hop!
I think a good quality balsamic would be great to cut through the sweetness of the white chocolate. I love the look of your tart and how you have presented it with the strawberries xx
What a divine looking tart Tania! I agree, white chocolate on it’s own can be a bit cloying, but you’re right, it’s fantastic with berries. I’m sure I’d love this.
Thanks jennifer
That’s a very interesting combination and I can imagine the vinegar would cut through the sweetness of the white chocolate – intriguing. Lovely photos too.
yes it cuts right through there and its delicious
How interesting to mix white chocolate with vinegar and strawberries! You always come up with clever combinations, Tania! 🙂
Well Id like to take some credit for presenting dessert with vinegar but is very common in Italy
Looks beautiful! I love the combination of strawberry and balsamic vinegar so I just know I would love this recipe. Would love to try some.