Country Living Magazine-April 1983 FRESH STRAWBERRY TART

This recipe is from a 1983 Country Living Magazine. I have several old Country Living magazines I picked up from an antique mall. I love looking at the interiors of the fabulous homes and every book has several recipes. This recipe was very light and fresh tasting. It challenged me to try new skills and I'll certainly make it again. My whole family enjoyed it and I can't wait to try more recipes from these magazines.

FRESH STRAWBERRY TART
MAKES 8 SERVINGS.
1½ pints perfect strawberries
¾ cup red currant jelly
2 tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon orange liqueur
(optional)
1 10-inch baked sugar crust (recipe follows)
1½ to 2 cups chilled pastry cream
(recipe follows)
Wash and hull berries and slice ¼-inch thick.
Mix the jelly, sugar and liqueur in a small heavy pan. Stir and melt jelly over low heat. Increase heat to moderate and boil briefly until the last drops poured from a spoonful are sticky. Brush the interior of the crust with this glaze and allow to set a few minutes.
Spread the pastry cream in the crust to within ¼-inch of the top. Drain berries and arrange them in an overlapping flower-petal design, working from the outside rim in.
Reheat glaze if it has hardened and brush over the berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

SUGAR CRUST

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CRUST.
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
6 tablespoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut in pieces
2 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening, cut in pieces
1 large egg, beaten with 1½ teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder.
Work in butter and shortening with the tips of your fingers or two knives until the mixture resembles fine oatmeal (coarser than normal pie dough).
With fingers or a fork, blend in the beaten egg mixture and lemon peel, and form the dough quickly into a ball.
Knead the dough briefly, pressing small bits of the dough down and away from you with the heel of your hand, using a smearing motion. Dough will be tacky.
Form into a ball, wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or more until firm.
Butter a 10-inch flan ring and a cookie sheet, or a 10-inch straight-sided cake or quiche pan with a removable bottom.
Heat oven to 375°F. Quickly roll dough between sheets of waxed paper to about ⅛ inch thick and 12 inches in di-ameter. Ease dough into the ring and press gently. Trim edges and form decorative edge as desired, but do not let dough overhang edge or it will be difficult to remove the cooked crust.
6. Line the crust with foil and fill with dried beans or pellets making sure they rest against the sides of the crust. Bake in center of oven about 7 minutes until dough has hardened slightly and has a glazed appearance. Remove liner, prick the dough with a fork in several places and bake 8 to 10 minutes longer until very lightly browned. Watch carefully during last few minutes. Remove from ring and cool before filling.

PASTRY CREAM
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS.
1½ cups milk
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Salt- pinch
½ tablespoon or more vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1. Heat milk just to boiling in a small pan over moderate heat. Meanwhile, place egg yolks in the top of a double boiler and beat to blend. Beat in sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat several minutes until thicker and pale yellow. Beat in flour and a pinch of salt to mix well.
Add the hot milk, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Place pan over boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Custard may lump a bit as it thickens; beat with a whisk to remove lumps.
Cook 3 minutes longer to cook the flour and finish the thickening. Stir and season to taste with vanilla or liqueur.
Spread plastic wrap on the surface to prevent skin from forming. Chill. Pastry cream should be thick enough to hold its shape. Thin with a little heavy cream if it thickens too much during chilling.
Note: Instant vanilla pudding may be substituted for the pastry cream. Substitute half-and-half for the milk called for in package instructions, and flavor with liqueur.