Strawberry Pie

• When it comes to strawberries, it's important to handle them with care to ensure they stay fresh and flavorful. One essential step in preparing strawberries is cleaning them properly before use. Strawberries are delicate fruits that can easily spoil if not handled correctly. Cleaning strawberries right before using them is key to preserving their freshness and flavor. When you wash strawberries too far in advance, they can absorb excess moisture, which can lead to a shorter shelf life and a loss of their natural sweetness. To clean strawberries effectively, follow these simple steps: 1. Fill a large bowl with cold water. 2. Gently place the strawberries in the water. 3. Swirl the strawberries around in the water to help dislodge any dirt or debris. 4. Remove the strawberries from the water with a slotted spoon and place onto paper towels.
  

Sugar Dough

• Cream butter with salt, sugar, almond meal, and vanilla. Add the egg and flour; mix until combined. Wrap up and chill to harden. Split dough in half, soften up onto your floured countertop, and roll out into a 0.12-inch/3mm thick disk. Use pastry ring to cut it out; chill. Save scraps and roll out the other half of the pastry and cut into strips that match the height of the pastry ring; chill for 20 min. Cover the edges of the pastry ring with pastry strips. Trim off excess dough if needed, and lightly prick dough with a fork. Place tart shell in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; uncovered.
  

Almond Cream

• Beat soften butter with sugar, starch, vanilla and almond meal. Add the egg and continue to whip until smooth and fluffy.

Baking

• Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Blind bake tart shell for 20 minutes. Remove pie weights and bake for an additional 10 minute. Egg wash (yolk & cream mixed up) the pre-baked tart shell and bake again for 10 minutes more. Pipe out almond cream (6 ounces/180g) – bake for 20 minutes, and cool. *Shorten baking time if using a convection oven.
  

Pastry Cream

• Soak gelatin in cold water to soften; drain. Bring to a boil milk, heavy cream, and vanilla – cover and let infuse for 20 min. Meanwhile, mix egg yolks along with sugar and starches. Temper yolk mixture with a third of the hot milk, and pour mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to boil, and cook for 2 min, whisking constantly. Then whisk in cocoa butter. Remove from the heat. Add the soften gelatin, butter, and mascarpone; blend thoroughly with an immersion blender. Transfer custard onto a frozen tray lined with plastic wrap, and chill completely. Vanilla pastry cream can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Whip chilled custard before using.
  

Montage

• Pipe out vanilla pastry cream in the tart shell. Arrange strawberries harmoniously all around. To get a glossy finish, fruits can be brushed with warm neutral glaze. Enjoy!