Making the tart cases in this recipe is the hardest part. If I've tried a hundred recipes for the perfect tart shell, I've tried a thousand. I've never got it looking perfect but it always tastes delicious and it is after all the taste that counts. Besides, the important thing is that when you fill your tart cases with thick sweet custard and top it with a juicy red strawberry, the imperfections will be disguised. The tart shell recipe I have used here is stephanie alexander's shortcrust pastry recipe from the Cook's Companion. The effect is mouthfuls of soft, crumbly shell, encasing silky smooth custard, topped off with sweet, juicy strawberry. Delicious.

Makes approximately 16 tarts

For the tart cases

90g unsalted butter
130g plain flour
Pinch of salt
approximately 2 tablespoons chilled water

For the custard
250 mils full cream milk
1 vanilla bean
2 egg yolks
40 grams sugar
20 grams castor sugar
zest of ½ lemon

strawberries
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

To make the tart cases
To make the cases, preheat the oven 170ºC (160ºC if using fan-forced oven) and lightly but thoroughly spray a non-stick tartlet ban with oil. Rub lumps of butter into your flour to combine partially, then, using a spatua, work in the water until you have a ball of buttery dough. Knead lightly, then take small lumps of pastry, flatten them with your hands, and work them into the tartlet tin.

Freeze your tart cases for at least 2 hours. Bake them straight from the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes at the bottom of the oven. They should be starting to go golden when you remove them. Towards the end of this time, you may need to prick each tart shell with a small skewer to avoid them puffing up. Allow tart cases to cool almost completely before removing them from the pan. They should slip out easily but if you need to use a knife to assist you with the process, go gently to avoid a crumbling disaster.

To make the custard
Place milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan and heat gently until boiling. While keeping an eye on this, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until pale and creamy. Gradually add the cornflour, beating with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Add lemon zest. Gradually add your milk mixture (vanilla bean removed) to the egg mixture, whisking as you do so. When combined, return this to the saucepan and heat gently, boiling for a minute until thick and goopy. On cooling, the custard will be a perfect thick smooth consistency, perfect for filling your tart cases.

To assemble
Pipe or spoon generous amounts of thick custard into each tart shell. Top with a strawberry and, if you are so inclined, brush with sugar glaze. (To make sugar glaze, combine sugar and water in a sauce pan and boil gently until reduced by half. Allow to cool).