CRUST

• Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and give them a quick stir to combine.
• Add butter, gently stir to coat, and rub the butter through the dry ingredients to combine until a fine, sand-like consistency. You can also do this in a food processor by adding the dry ingredients and the butter, pulsing until fine.
• Add beaten egg yolk and cut through the mixture with a dough scraper or pulse in your food processor.
• Gently compress the dough with a dough scraper to begin to bring it together into a ball, then dump the dough and any “dust” onto your work surface. If using a food processor, dump the mixture onto the counter and compress.
• Gently smear out a few sections with a dough scraper or your hand - pushing a section out - and then scraping it back together, towards the dough ball. Keep an eye on your dough, once there are no more dry spots stop mixing.
• Gently form your dough into a ball of sorts and cut it in half. One half will be for the bottom of your tart, the other for the top. Place one half between a folded piece of parchment paper (roughly 12-13 inches wide when folded) and roll into an 11-inch* circle. Repeat with the other half.
• Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, making sure to keep it flat.
• Lightly loosen the edges of the dough so it fits into your greased tart pan. Use a bit of excess dough with a little bit of flour to gently press dough into the edges, making sure the dough is a consistent thickness throughout.
• Use a rolling pin to roll off any excess dough from the rim. Press in any thick spots remaining.
• Fork dough at the bottom of the tin and place back in the fridge for another 10 minutes.
• Preheat to 320°F on the convection setting
• Place the tart onto a cookie sheet. Crinkle a bit of parchment paper and lay it into the pie, on top of the tart dough, then fill with rice/baking beans and gently even out.
• Place the cookie sheet with tart into the oven on a rack placed in the top third and blind bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.
• Gently to avoid tearing, remove weights/beans/rice and return to oven another 4 minutes.
• Cool completely, keeping the crust in the tart pan

FILLING

• If using fresh strawberries, halve and quarter them before adding them to a medium pot.
• Add sugar and zest to berries, and stir. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
• Once the mixture thickens, add the lemon juice, boil, and stir in your cornstarch.
• Allow mixture to reduce down by at least a third - stirring regularly.
• Remove from heat and stir in your chopped or torn basil leaves. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to ensure the basil flavor is evenly steeped.
• Pour strawberry filling into lightly cooled crust. Don’t overfill! Depending on how juicy your strawberries are, the mixture likely will make a little extra so leave a lip of crust about ¼” between the top of your filling and the top of the crust. See tip section for how to use any leftovers!
• Leave the filled tart on the counter uncovered, so the filling can “dry” - aka the top should appear less wet - for 15-20 minutes
• Preheat oven to 320°F on the convection setting
• Using a cookie cutter, cut the second half of your rolled raw pastry crust into petals. Place concentrically from rim to center to form a flower, with the top tip of the flower pointing to the edge of the pan.
• Make an egg wash by cracking an egg into a bowl and adding a splash of water if needed to loosen. Beat with a fork until combined, then brush the top crust with the egg mixture, and sprinkle with coarse sugar
• Place in fridge for 8 minutes
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top crust is golden
• Enjoy!