Description
Delight in these elegant Strawberry White Balsamic Caramel Tarts featuring a buttery tart shell filled with luscious white balsamic caramel, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Perfect for a sophisticated dessert or special occasion treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Tart Dough
- 1 cup all purpose flour (125 g)
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces (110 g)
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
Strawberry and Cream Filling
- 1 cup whipping cream (230 g)
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 pounds strawberries
Instructions
- Make Tart Dough: Combine flour, dark brown sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cold butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Drizzle cold water, vanilla extract, and almond extract over the mixture and pulse until it forms coarse crumbs, not a ball. Turn the mixture onto plastic wrap and form a disk about 1 inch thick. If needed, add a few more drops of water to help it stick together.
- Form Tart Shells: On a lightly floured surface, press the dough gently into the bottoms and sides of six 4-inch round tart tins with removable bottoms. Chill the tart tins in the refrigerator while preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake Tart Shells: Line the dough-lined tins with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights, then bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely while preparing the caramel.
- Prepare Caramel: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat. In another small saucepan, heat the whipping cream until it simmers and keep warm on low heat. Continue cooking the sugar mixture until it turns a dark amber color, about 8 minutes, taking care not to burn it.
- Finish Caramel: Remove sugar mixture from heat and slowly add the warm cream, stirring as it bubbles vigorously until it settles. Stir in the butter until melted and incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in the white balsamic vinegar. Let caramel cool to room temperature.
- Make Whipped Cream Filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine whipping cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip until soft peaks form.
- Prepare Strawberries: Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice vertically into ¼ inch thick slices.
- Assemble Tarts: Pour a layer of cooled caramel into the bottom of each tart shell. Fill each tart with the whipped cream. Arrange strawberry slices in concentric circles on top of the whipped cream. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to three days.
Notes
- Use cold butter and cold water when making the tart dough for a tender and flaky crust.
- Be careful not to burn the caramel; keep a close eye as it changes color quickly at the end.
- If tart dough is too crumbly to form, add water one teaspoon at a time.
- The tarts can be refrigerated for up to three days; add strawberries just before serving for the freshest taste.
- Pie weights can be substituted with dried beans or rice for blind baking.
- White balsamic vinegar adds a subtle sweetness, but you can substitute with regular balsamic vinegar for a more robust flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
