This Strawberry and White Chocolate tart is a wonderful combination of tart strawberry curd, creamy white chocolate ganache and fresh seasonal fruit all piled into a buttery cookie crust.
Why This Recipe Works
Strawberry Curd is not as common as Lemon Curd, but it's just as good when made with seasonal berries. Combining it with a sweet white chocolate ganache, fresh fruit and a simple cookie crust creates a recipe with layers of flavor that's refreshing and delicious.
4 Parts to This Recipe
There are four parts to this recipe. Each one except the fresh fruit can be made ahead of time.
- Buttery Shortbread Crust. This recipe is my go to recipe for tart crusts. I've used it for multiple desserts because it's so simple and easy to make. No need for a food processor or pastry cutter. Combine melted butter with flour, sugar, salt and flavorings and then press it into a 9-inch tart pan. You don't need to chill it or blind bake it, it holds its shape perfectly. I use this same crust for my Raspberry Curd Fruit and French Apple Tart.
- Strawberry Curd. I love making fruit curds and Strawberry Curd was one of the first curds I made for the blog. I recently updated the recipe to cook the fruit first before combining with the eggs. Cooking the fruit first concentrates the flavor and deepens the color for a beautiful and great tasting curd. You can also make the this recipe using Lemon or Lime Curd. Both curds will taste great with the white chocolate.
- White Chocolate Ganache. This sweet ganache pairs perfectly with the strawberry curd. It's creamy and even when it sets the texture is perfect with the fruit curd and the cookie crust.
- Fresh Fruit. I used strawberries, cherries, blueberries and raspberries for this tart, but feel free to use your favorite berries or whatever is available locally.
How to Make the Tart Crust
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine. Add the hot melted butter and stir together with a silicone spatula until no white bits of flour remain. Quickly press it into the tart pan and working it up the sides.
Pressing it into the pan and make sure the bottom and sides are even thickness will take a few minutes. I take my time with the step and it may take up to 10 minutes to get the dough pressed into the pan.
Bake the crust for 25-30 minutes until it is golden brown. The crust has to thoroughly bake to ensure it doesn't fall apart of the under the weight of the ingredients and the moisture from the curd.
How to Make the Strawberry Curd
Follow my recipe for Strawberry Curd. A few tips for success:
- Use local berries if possible. If local berries are not available then use frozen berries.
- Make sure the cooked strawberries are cooled before adding the eggs and egg yolks. If the cooked fruit is too warm or hot the eggs will start to cook as soon as they come in contact and you'll end up with large pieces of egg in your curd.
- Cook it to the right temperature to ensure that it will set. Recipe guidelines are given in the recipe.
The curd can be made two weeks in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. You can also freeze the curd for up to a year if you want to have some on hand for Christmas.
How to Make the White Chocolate Ganache
Make the white chocolate ganache right before you're ready to assemble the dessert. You can use chocolate chips or chocolate bars chopped for this ganache. I happen to have Ghirardelli white chocolate bars on hand when I made this dessert.
All the ganache to cool slightly and then pour it into the baked tart shell. Smooth the top with an offset spatular. Refrigerate it to solidify the ganache. This step will ensure a smooth solid surface on which to spread the strawberry curd.
Assemble the Tart
Once the white chocolate ganache has firmed up, spread the strawberry curd across the top in an even layer. Refrigerate the tart for an hour to allow the curd to get slightly firm.
Now decorate the top with fresh fruit. Once all fruit is placed on the tart brush it with warm apricot jam. This step is optional but it give the fruit on top a nice shiny appearance that is visually appealing. If not serving the tart within the next hour, refrigerate it until ready to serve.
The tart is good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but the fruit will start to dry out on top.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Clean the fresh fruit, but make sure it is dry before placing it on top of the strawberry curd.
- Cook the strawberry curd over medium or medium low heat to prevent it from burning.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the curd.
This Strawberry and White Chocolate Tart is a beautiful summertime dessert. If you love strawberries the way I do, then definitely make this recipe. Please leave a comment if have questions and or if you've tried it. If you've made it, connect with me on Instagram and tag me @bakesbybrownsugar or use #bakesbybrownsugar. I look forward to hearing from you.
More Summer Berry Recipes
If you're looking for more ideas for summer time berry recipes check out my list of Berry Recipes. Some of my favorites are:
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Strawberry and White Chocolate Tart
Equipment
- 1 9-inch Tart Pan with removable bottom
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Strawberry Curd
- 1 recipe Strawberry Curd
Tart Crust
- 1 1/3 cups (189 grams) all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons (63 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter melted
White Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces (227 grams) white chocolate chopped
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Apricot Glaze
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
For the Crust
- Adjust 1 oven rack to the middle position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk flour, sugar, ground ginger, and salt together in a bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until a dough forms.
- Using your hands, press two-thirds of the dough into the bottom of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press remaining dough into fluted sides of the pan. Press and smooth dough with your hands to even thickness.
- Place pan on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the middle rack, until the crust is deep golden brown and firm to touch, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Set it aside and let it cool to room temperature before filling with the white chocolate ganache.
- The tart crust can be made one day ahead and covered with plastic wrap.
White Chocolate Ganache
- Chop the chocolate fine and place it in a heat proof medium-sized bowl. Place the soften butter in the same bowl. Warm the cream over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edges of the cream and steam starts to rise from the surface.
- Pour the cream over the white chocolate and butter. Allow it to sit for 30 seconds and then stir with a spatula until the ganache is smooth. There should be about 1 cup of ganache. Let the ganache cool for about 10-15 minutes.
Assemble the Tart
- Pour at least ¾ cup of the ganache on the bottom of the baked tart crust and smooth with an offset spatula. If you want a thicker layer of ganache use all the ganache. Place the tart in the refrigerator and let it chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tart from the refrigerator and cover the ganache with the strawberry curd. Use an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 60 minutes.
- While the tart is in the refrigerator. Clean, dry and chop the fruit. Decorate the top of the tart with the fruit. If you prefer you can cover the entire surface with fruit.
Apricot Glaze Optional Step
- Glazing the fruit gives it a beautiful finish, but this step is optional.
- Make the glaze by placing the apricot jam and water in a saucepan. Heat it up over medium heat until the jam is loose and liquidy. Strain the jam. Use a small pastry brush to lightly brush the fruit with the apricot glaze.
Lola says
Could i use regular chocolate instead of white chocolate for this recipe?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Lola
Yes, you can use dark chocolate instead of white chocolate for the ganache layer. You will need different ratios of chocolate to cream, since dark chocolate doesn't contain the same amount of cocoa butter and sugar of white chocolate.
For the dark chocolate ganache use equal parts of dark chocolate (55-64%) and heavy cream. I have tried this combination yet, so I recommend doing a taste test of the chocolate and curd first before filling the tart shell with the dark chocolate ganache.
Annie August says
Hi! If we may day ahead of chill, how long can it sit out of the fridge before serving? Can it sit on the counter on display before serving for several hours or is it not recommended? Thank you.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Annie
The dessert can sit at room temperature, but the limiting factor is the fruit curd. If you're taking it directly from the fridge the tart can sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours. If the tart is in a warm place like the kitchen, I would lessen that to 2 hours.