Strawberry crostata with panna cotta cream and almonds

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 125 g butter, cold, cut into cubes
• 250 g sugar
• 300 g flour
• 1 egg(s)
• 4 sheets of white gelatin
• 2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 vanilla pod
• 600 g cream, fresh
• 500 g strawberries
• 2 tbsp almonds, chopped
• 500 g dried peas or lentils for blind baking
• Fat for the mold
• possibly flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

creamy and light summer cake, quickly prepared

For the dough, make a shortcrust pastry from flour, 200g sugar, butter, egg, and a pinch of salt (using a mixer and dough hook, or by hand if necessary). If it’s too runny, add a little more flour and sugar. Wrap the shortcrust pastry in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. During this time, grease a tart or springform pan with a diameter of at least 26cm. Then remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out thinly on a floured surface or between two sheets of baking paper. Place the dough in the greased pan and press up the edges by almost 3cm (or to the edge of the tart pan). Cover the dough with baking paper and fill with the peas or lentils. Bake blind in a preheated oven at 180°C fan/convection oven or 200°C conventional oven for about 15 minutes. Then remove the pulses and baking paper and bake for about 10 more minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool thoroughly. For the filling, soak the gelatin in cold water. Bring the vanilla extract, cream, and the remaining 50g of sugar to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and dissolve the squeezed gelatin in the hot cream. Allow the cream to cool thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Once the cream has reached room temperature, refrigerate it for about half an hour until it has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Wash and sort the strawberries, and trim the stems. Spread the slightly thickened panna cotta cream (it shouldn’t be firm yet, but still almost completely liquid) over the base and place the strawberries in it, pointy-side down, without pressing them all the way down. Refrigerate the cake for at least three hours until the cream has set. Sprinkle with chopped almonds before serving. Tips: You can also use other fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, raspberries, or blueberries. The cake also tastes good without any fruit, just with fruit sauce. In that case, make a little more cream. In winter, you can also use frozen strawberries or other fruits. Drain them thoroughly, otherwise the cream will be too runny.