Valentine's day tart

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PRESENTATION

How to surprise your partner on this day dedicated to celebrating love? Some simple cookies, or a scenographic heart-shaped cake? This time the answer lies in a tart: the Valentine's Day tart! What makes it even better than a classic jam tart? The goodness is similar, but the effect is truly special, thanks to the original decoration. Use the left over shortcrust dough to make heart shapes of various sizes, instead of the more traditional lozenge pattern, and place them on the strawberry jam. This choice is no coincidence, as the color contrast with the red will make your message of love stand out even more! What are you waiting for? Have fun personalizing your Valentine's Day tart and send us your most romantic photos.

INGREDIENTS

For the shortcrust pastry (for a 8.27x8.27 inch (21x21 cm) mold)
Flour 00 4 cups (470 g)
Nut flour 6 tbsp (55 g)
Butter 2 sticks (210 g) - (cold)
Powdered sugar 1 cup (170 g)
Eggs 2 (100 g) - (room temperature)
Lemon peel ½
Fine salt 1 tsp (5 g)
For the filling
Strawberry jam 3 cups (500 g)
Preparation

How to prepare Valentine's day tart

To make Valentine's Day tart, start by preparing the shortcrust pastry: place the flour 00 and the cold butter in the bowl of a planetary mixer with a leaf spatula 1 and switch it on for around 2 minutes to obtain a sandy consistency; add the nut flour 2 and the powdered sugar 3.

Switch the planetary mixer back on for a couple of minutes, then add the eggs at room temperature 4, the salt 5, and the grated lemon peel 6.

Stir the ingredients for another 2 minutes until firm 7, then place the dough on a work top and shape into a single piece to prevent the gluten from over-developing, which would compromise the crumbliness of the shortcrust pastry 8. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap 9 and leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Once the resting time is up, roll the dough out on a work top lightly sprinkled with flour, until around 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) thick 10. Cut the shortcrust pastry out with a 8.3 x 8.3 inch (21 x 21 cm) square mold 11, then place it on an oven tray lined with parchment paper, together with the mold 12.

Cut the left over shortcrust dough into strips that are 2 inches (5 cm) wide 13 and stick them to the edge of the mold 14, then remove any excess dough 15. Place the oven tray with the shortcrust pastry shell in the refrigerator and prepare the decorations.

Knead the left over shortcrust dough once more 16 and roll it out until around 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) thick, then cut circles out using a 2.4 inch (6 cm) diameter shaping ring mold 17. Place the circles on a tray, then leave in the refrigerator for 5 minutes 18.

In the meantime, remove the shortcrust dough shell from the refrigerator and fill with the strawberry jam 19. Trim the edge of the tart with a knife 20 so that it is 0.4 inches (1 cm) taller than the strawberry jam layer 21: in this way the jam will not leak out during baking.

Now remove the shortcrust dough circles from the refrigerator and cut the middle of each one out using a 1.6 inch (4 cm) heart-shaped ring mold and a 1.2 inch (3 cm) one 22. Place the shapes on the jam, alternating both sizes 24. Bake the tart in a static oven preheated to 355°F (180°C) for around 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool thoroughly 24, the sprinkle with the powdered sugar. The Valentine's Day tart is ready to be cut into small squares and enjoyed with the one you love!

Storage

Valentine's Day tart can be stored at room temperature for around 3 days, covered with a glass cake cloche.

Tip

You can replace the nut flour with the same amount of almond or pistachio flour!