Julia Child Strawberry Tart Recipe (French Tarte aux Fraises)

Julia Child Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises) is the classic French fruit tart from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (pages 640-641). Fresh strawberries arranged in concentric circles over vanilla pastry cream, nestled in a buttery sugar crust and glazed until glistening. This strawberry tart recipe delivers the French bakery experience at home.

Julia writes about the crust: “Sugar crusts are particularly good with fresh fruit tarts, like the strawberry tart. They are more delicate than sweet short paste shells because of their eggs and additional sugar. The larger proportion of sugar, however, makes a delicious crust, actually a cooky dough.”

The first time I made this, I spent twenty minutes arranging the berries in perfect circles. My husband ate a slice in about ninety seconds. That’s the thing about beautiful tarts: they disappear fast.

What makes this a French fruit tart? Three distinct layers: a crisp sugar-crust shell (pâte sucrée), silky pastry cream (crème pâtissière), and perfectly arranged fresh fruit with a shiny glaze.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No baking the day of: The shell is pre-baked. Assembly is just arranging and glazing.
Stunning presentation: Concentric circles of berries look like a Paris patisserie window.
Showcases fresh fruit: The berries are the star, not hidden under cream.
Julia’s sugar crust: Delicate, almost like a cookie, perfect with fresh fruit.
Endlessly adaptable: Works with raspberries, peaches, pears, or any seasonal fruit.

Julia Child Strawberry Tart Ingredients

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, pages 640-641. Serves 6-8.

For the Sugar Crust (Pâte Sucrée):

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
10 Tb (1¼ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 Tb cold water

For the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière):

1 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 Tb all-purpose flour
1 Tb unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Fruit:

1 quart fresh strawberries (about 3 cups hulled)

For the Glaze:

½ cup red currant jelly (not apricot for red berries)
1 Tb water or kirsch

How To Make Julia Child Strawberry Tart

Step 1: Make the Sugar Crust (Pâte Sucrée)

Combine dry ingredients: Whisk flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Cut in butter: Add cold butter pieces. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add egg yolk and water: Stir with a fork until dough comes together. Don’t overwork.
Form into disk: Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Roll and fit: Roll dough to ⅛ inch thick on floured surface. Fit into 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Step 2: Blind Bake the Shell

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line with foil and weights: Press foil into shell, fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake 10 minutes with weights. Remove foil and weights.
Prick bottom with fork. Bake 5-8 more minutes until golden brown.
Cool completely. Shell must be cold before filling.

Step 3: Make the Pastry Cream

Heat milk: Warm in a saucepan until steaming. Don’t boil.
Beat yolks and sugar: In a bowl, whisk until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.
Add flour: Whisk until smooth with no lumps.
Temper the yolks: Slowly drizzle hot milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. This prevents scrambling.
Cook the cream: Return to saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, reaching all corners. Cook until thick and it starts to boil. Let boil 1 minute, still stirring.
Finish: Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla until butter melts.
Cool completely: Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent skin. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Step 4: Prepare the Berries

Hull the strawberries. Rinse gently and pat completely dry with paper towels.
Halve large berries. Leave small ones whole.
Sort by size. The prettiest, most uniform ones go on the outer ring.

Step 5: Assemble the Tart

Spread pastry cream in shell: About ¼ inch layer, covering the entire bottom evenly.
Arrange berries in concentric circles: Start at the outer edge. Point tips upward. Press gently into the cream.
Work toward center: Continue with circles, slightly overlapping. Use smaller berries for inner circles.
Fill center: Use small whole berries or berry halves, pointed ends up.

Step 6: Glaze

Make the glaze: Heat red currant jelly with water or kirsch in a small saucepan, stirring until melted and smooth.
Cool 2 minutes. Should be pourable but not hot.
Brush over berries: Use a pastry brush. Coat evenly. Don’t let glaze pool in gaps.
Serve within a few hours.

Recipe Tips

Cold dough is easier: If the pâte sucrée gets sticky, refrigerate 15 minutes before continuing.
Weights prevent puffing: The pie weights hold the crust flat during blind baking.
Berries must be completely dry: Wet berries won’t glaze properly and make the tart soggy.
Pastry cream should be cold: Spread while cold so it stays firm and doesn’t slide.
Work from outside in: Concentric circles look most professional.
Red currant for red fruit: Julia specifies red currant jelly for strawberries and raspberries. Use apricot glaze only for peaches, pears, or bananas.

Julia’s Advice on the Sugar Crust

Julia explains why this crust works: “Sugar crusts are particularly good with fresh fruit tarts. The larger proportion of sugar makes a delicious crust, actually a cooky dough.”

She also warns: “The more sugar you mix in, the more difficult it is to roll and mold the pastry because it is sticky and breaks easily.” Work quickly, keep the dough cold, and patch any cracks with scraps.

Variations

Raspberry Tart (Tarte aux Framboises): Substitute fresh raspberries. No cutting needed. Use red currant glaze.

Peach Tart (Tarte aux Pêches): Use poached or canned peach halves, drained and sliced. Use apricot glaze.

Pear Tart (Tarte aux Poires): Use poached pear halves, sliced thin. Fan the slices elegantly. Use apricot glaze.

Mixed Fruit Tart: Combine seasonal fruits. Arrange decoratively by color and size.

Make-Ahead Strategy

The sugar crust can be made and baked a day ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

The pastry cream can be made two days ahead. Keep refrigerated with plastic directly on the surface.

Assemble the tart the day you serve it. The crust begins absorbing moisture from the cream within hours.

How To Store

Before Assembling: Baked shell keeps 1 day airtight at room temperature. Pastry cream keeps 2 days refrigerated.
After Assembling: Best within 4-6 hours. Refrigerate if longer, but the crust will soften. Serve the same day.
Freezer: Not recommended for assembled tart. Unbaked dough freezes well up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1/8 of tart):

Calories: 320 kcal
Protein: 5g
Total Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 42g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 24g
Sodium: 90mg
Cholesterol: 130mg

FAQs

Can I use frozen strawberries?

No. They release too much liquid and make everything soggy. Fresh only for this French fruit tart.

What if I don’t have red currant jelly?

Strain seedless raspberry jam and thin with water. For red berries, avoid apricot as the color looks muddy.

Why is my pastry cream lumpy?

Either the flour wasn’t whisked in smoothly, or it curdled from heat. Strain through a fine sieve to fix.

Can I use whipped cream instead of pastry cream?

Julia says crème Chantilly works. The tart will be lighter but less stable. Serve immediately.

Why does Julia use a sugar crust?

It’s sweeter and more cookie-like, complementing fresh fruit better than savory pie dough.

How do I keep the crust from getting soggy?

Assemble as close to serving as possible. A thin layer of melted chocolate brushed on the cooled shell before adding cream creates a barrier.