📌 Strawberry Tart with Homemade Confit
Posted 28 March 2026 by: Admin
At the beginning of June, the Gariguettes arrive, and they don’t stay long. Three weeks, four if the summer is kind. This tart is the most honest way to showcase them — without drowning them in cream or overcooking them to death.
The crust is a very pale gold, the color of light caramel, and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom with your fingernail. The almond cream underneath is puffed just right, slightly moist, with the scent of slowly cooked butter. The strawberries placed on top shine under the confit as if they had been varnished — a red that leans towards burgundy in places, bright in others. And then the lime zest, subtle, which cuts through the sugar and wakes everything up.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredient Notes
Everything needed for a true pastry chef’s strawberry tart: strawberries, almonds, and patience.
- Gariguette or Ciflorette strawberries : These two varieties have a natural acidity that holds up even with sugar around them. Mara des bois also work but are more fragile to handle. Avoid calibrated Spanish strawberries — too much water, not enough taste. For the final garnish, choose them of uniform size, you’ll spend less time fighting with the assembly.
- NH Pectin : This is what gives the confit its supple and shiny texture. Unlike classic yellow pectin, NH is heat-reversible — you can reheat the confit if it sets too much. You can find it in organic stores, on Amazon, or in specialty pastry shops. Without it, replace with 1:1 gelling sugar and reduce the recipe’s sugar by 10g.
- Unsalted butter 82% fat content : The percentage really matters here. An 80% butter contains more water, and you can feel it in the dough — it will be less crumbly, less crispy. Charentes-Poitou AOP or Président butter are good. For the almond cream, it must be softened (pommade) — taken out 2h before or 15 seconds in the microwave, not melted.
- Almond flour : It works in two places in the recipe: in the dough for the sandy texture, and in the cream for the softness. Get it fresh — rancid almond flour smells like wet cardboard and it shows in the final taste. If you want a more pronounced flavor, you can toast it for 5 minutes in the oven at 160°C before use.
- Lime : Just the zest, at the very end. It’s the detail that separates an ordinary strawberry tart from one you remember. It cuts the sweetness of the confit and amplifies the aroma of fresh strawberries. Grate it directly over the tart just before serving, not before — the essential oils evaporate quickly.
The almond sweet pastry: the foundation of everything
We start here because this is what needs to rest. Mix the room-temperature butter with the powder sugar, almond flour, and fleur de sel until you get a creamy paste — no lumps, everything must be homogeneous. Add the egg, mix again, then stir in the sifted flour all at once. The movement should be quick and decisive, no prolonged kneading or the dough will become elastic and shrink during baking. Once it forms a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in film, and put it in the fridge for at least one hour. When cold, it’s much easier to line the mold — it doesn’t stick and stays in place.
The almond cream: faster than you think
Cream the softened butter, sugar, almond flour, egg, and cornstarch together until the texture is smooth and slightly airy. There’s no secret technique. The only trap is butter that’s too cold, which creates lumps that never really disappear. Once the dough is lined in its mold and pricked with a fork, spread the almond cream on top in an even layer of about 1 cm. During baking, it puffs up a bit and takes on an ivory color with edges that start to turn blonde — the smell coming out of the oven at that moment is honest, buttery, with that background of toasted almond.
The strawberry confit: 10 minutes that change everything
Cut the strawberries into pieces and put them in a saucepan with half the sugar. Let them release their juice for a few minutes over medium heat — they will collapse and release a dark red juice, almost garnet. Mix the NH pectin with the rest of the sugar before incorporating it; this avoids lumps. Add the lemon juice, bring to a simmer while stirring, and it’s done. The confit should be fluid when hot and set slightly as it cools. If you prepare it the day before, just gently reheat it before use to find that perfect consistency for glazing.
The assembly: where everything happens in 5 minutes
The tart base must be cold before assembling, otherwise, the confit will run everywhere. Spread a thin layer of confit over the cooked almond cream — this glues the strawberries and prevents them from sliding. Arrange your strawberries according to your logic: points up for a neat result, cut in half for something more generous. Then glaze with the rest of the confit using a brush. Zest the lime over it at the last moment, just before serving or taking a photo.
Tips & Tricks
- Prepare the dough the day before — one night in the fridge is better than one hour, the texture will be neater and lining the mold much easier
- Don’t blindly sugar the confit: taste your strawberries first. Gariguettes in full season only need 30g, less ripe June strawberries may require 50g
- If the almond cream puffs up unevenly during baking, don’t panic — the confit and strawberries hide all that very well
- For a clean result when cutting, run the knife under hot water between each slice
How long does this strawberry tart keep?
The tart keeps for 24 hours in the refrigerator, well-covered with plastic wrap. Beyond that, the fresh strawberries start to release water and soften the almond cream. If you want to prepare it in advance, keep the baked tart base and the confit separately, and assemble on the day.
Can NH pectin be replaced with something else?
Yes, replace it with 1:1 gelling sugar (like jam sugar) by reducing the added sugar by 10g. As a last resort, 1 sheet of gelatin softened in cold water and melted off the heat also works, but the texture will be slightly different — less shiny, firmer.
The pastry shrinks during baking, how to avoid this?
Cold is the solution. After lining the mold, put the raw dough back in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. If it still shrinks, it’s often because it was overworked — kneading develops gluten, which retracts in the heat.
Can other fruits be used instead of strawberries?
Absolutely. This almond sweet pastry and almond cream base works very well with raspberries, thinly sliced peaches, or figs in autumn. The confit also adapts — same technique, same proportions, just the fruit changes.
Is a tart mold with a removable bottom mandatory?
It’s not mandatory, but it’s frankly more practical for unmolding without breaking the pastry. A tart ring placed on a perforated tray gives the best result for baking. If you have neither, a classic mold works; you will serve directly from it.
Can the almond cream be prepared the day before?
Yes, and it’s even recommended. It keeps without any problem for 48 hours in the refrigerator in a closed container. Take it out 20 minutes before use so it’s supple again and easy to spread on the tart base.
Strawberry Tart with Homemade Confit
French
Dessert
A French-style strawberry tart with a crispy almond sweet pastry, a soft almond cream, and a homemade strawberry confit that advantageously replaces any store-bought jelly.
Ingredients
- For the almond sweet pastry
- 140g unsalted butter at 82% fat content, at room temperature
- 90g powder sugar
- 30g almond flour
- 1g fleur de sel
- 1 whole egg
- 240g sifted T55 flour
- For the almond cream
- 60g softened butter
- 60g granulated sugar
- 60g almond flour
- 1 whole egg
- 5g Cornstarch (Maïzena)
- For the strawberry confit
- 300g fresh strawberries (preferably gariguettes or ciflorette)
- 40g granulated sugar (adjust according to fruit ripeness)
- 4g NH pectin
- 10ml lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- For the final garnish
- 600-700g fresh strawberries
- 1 lime (zest only)
Instructions
- 1Prepare the sweet pastry: mix the softened butter, powder sugar, almond flour, and fleur de sel until creamy and homogeneous.
- 2Incorporate the egg while mixing well, then add the sifted flour all at once. Mix quickly without kneading until a ball forms.
- 3Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight).
- 4Preheat the oven to 170°C. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and line a 24-26 cm tart mold. Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 5Prepare the almond cream: mix the softened butter with the sugar, almond flour, egg, and cornstarch until smooth.
- 6Spread the almond cream on the cold tart base in an even layer of about 1 cm. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cream is golden like light caramel and the edges are well colored.
- 7Let cool completely on a rack before unmolding.
- 8Prepare the confit: cut the 300g of strawberries into pieces and place them in a saucepan with half the sugar. Heat over medium heat until they release their juice.
- 9Mix the NH pectin with the rest of the sugar then incorporate into the strawberry mixture. Add the lemon juice, bring to a simmer while stirring and cook for 2 minutes. Let cool.
- 10Spread a thin layer of confit on the cooked and cooled almond cream. Arrange the fresh strawberries on top, points up or cut in half depending on size.
- 11Glaze the strawberries with the remaining slightly reheated confit using a brush. Zest the lime directly over the tart at the time of serving.
Notes
• Make ahead: the sweet pastry and almond cream can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator. The confit can also be prepared the day before — reheat gently before use if it has set too much.
• Storage: assemble the tart on the day and consume within 24 hours. Beyond that, the fresh strawberries release water and soak the cream.
• Variations: the same almond cream base works with raspberries, peaches in summer, or figs in autumn. Adapt the confit with the same fruit as the garnish.
Nutrition Facts (per serving, estimated)
| 670 kcalCalories | 13gProtein | 72gCarbs | 37gFat |
