NUT PASTRY
1 c All-purpose flour 250 mL
1/3 c Toasted hazlenuts or
-pistachio nuts; finely
-chopped 75
; mL
2 tb Granulated sugar 25 mL
1/2 c Unsalted butter; cut into
-small
; pieces 125 mL
1 Egg yolk 1
1 tb Lemon juice 15 mL
2 oz Homemade or commercial
-sponge cake 60 g
FILLING
4 c Fresh strawberries 1 L
1 Envelope unflavoured gelatin
-1
1/4 c Cold water 50 mL
4 Egg yolks 4
3/4 c Granulated sugar; divided
-175 mL
3/4 c Lemon juice 175 mL
1 tb Finely grated lemon peel 15
-mL
4 oz Cream cheese 125 g
1 3/4 c Whipping cream 425 mL
GARNISH
Chopped toasted pistachio
-nuts
Sifted icing sugar
Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
To make pastry, in large bowl, combine flour with nuts and granulated
sugar. Cut in butter until it is in tiny bits.
Combine egg yolk with lemon juice. Sprinkle over flour mixture and gather
dough together into a ball. Roll or press to fit bottom of 9 or 10 inch/23
or 25cm springform pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Break sponge cake into
small pieces and and sprinkle on top of pastry.
Reserve eight of the best strawberries for the top. Hull remaining berries.
Cut about twelve even sized berries in half and arrange around edge of pan
with cut side of berries pressed against the edge. Arrange remaining
berries to fit inside pan with tips pointing up.
To make the filling, sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small saucepan.
Allow to soften for 5 minutes. Heat gently until dissolved.
In medium saucepan, beat 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup/125 mL granulated sugar
until light. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Cook, stirring constantly, until
mixture thickens and just comes to the boil. Stir in dissolved gelatin.
Cool.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with with remaining 1/4 cup/50 mL
granulated sugar. Beat in cool lemon cream.
In separate bowl, beat whipping cream until light. Fold into lemon cream.
Pour over berries. Shake pan gently so lemon mixture falls between berries
and top is even. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until set. Run knife
around edge of pan and remove sides. Place cake on serving platter. (Remove
springform bottom only if it comes away easily.)
Arrange 1 inch/2.5 cm strips of waxed paper on top of the cake, leaving
spaces in between. Sprinkle spaces with pistachio nuts. Remove paper
carefully. Leave hulls on reserved berries and cut in half. Arrange berries
in rows along empty strips. Dust with icing sugar. Refrigerate until ready
to serve.
Yields
1 servings
