With rhubarb and strawberries being in season, it just made sense to try making a strawberry tart. It’s been a tradition that every summer, I try to perfect this tart using different methods. This summer, I decided to use an elderflower pate sucre, strawberry-rhubarb confiture, cornmeal frangipane, and cream cheese chantilly with elderflower glazed berries.

I wanted to use elderflower liquor in the tart crust, because not only does alcohol create flakier pastry to finish, but the flower of it plays off of the strawberries and rhubarb brilliantly. The idea to do a cornmeal frangipane, I will admit to stealing it from Yumeiro Patissiere, which is one of the most cringey shoujo anime of all time in terms of plot, but I will have to admit that the desserts on there look stunning and I just have to either endure the crap plot or mute it entirely while I take notes on the desserts that they make. It was so cringey that I had to take an edgy photo of myself with the tart and the tart filling to ensure that I am not a believer in that girly-girl, damsel in distress, clumsy and incompetent girl-meets-competent and mature beyond his years guy nonsense that they call a shoujo anime plot.

For the tart shell:
1 cup all-purpose flour and more for rolling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons elderflower liquor
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine ingredients into a smooth dough. Chill down the dough and then dust with flour. Roll out to about 1/8th thickness and then transfer dough into tart pans that have been lined with butter and flour. Prick the doughs with a fork then weigh down with parchment and either rice, dried beans, or pie weights. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes, then another 10 minutes at 325 degrees F without the pie weights to guarantee that the bottom of the dough is not wet. Cool completely, but leave in the tart pans.

For the rhubarb confiture:
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon elderflower liquor
a pinch of salt

Combine ingredients and allow them to simmer together over medium-low heat while constantly stirring until the rhubarb is softened and all of the excess liquid from the berries is cooked out. You want the consistency to be like a jam. Once it is, remove from heat and cool completely before placing into the baked tart shells.

For the cornmeal frangipane:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Heat the cornmeal with milk, sugar, and butter first, whisking until smooth and creamy. Take off heat and allow the mixture to cool (but not set) before adding in the other ingredients. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe over the baked tart shell, that is already lined with the rhubarb confiture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for another 25 minutes.

For the glaze:
3 tablespoons elderflower liquor
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Combine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Cool before using.

For the cream cheese:
8 oz cream cheese
3 tablespoons heavy cream; whipped stiff
1 teaspoon gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Reduce water, sugar, and gelatin. Whip into the cream cheese with vanilla and salt. Fold in the heavy cream then transfer into a piping bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Assembly:
Strawberries, chopped and tossed through the glaze; to garnish

Garnish the tops of the tarts with the cream cheese chantilly and and berries.