Smultronpaj (Smultronpaj)

In Sweden, the appearance of tiny wild strawberries (smultrон) in forest clearings and meadow edges in late June is celebrated with near-religious intensity. Smultronpaj is the summer tart that makes the most of them — a crisp, buttery shortcrust shell (pajdeg) filled with vanilla pastry cream and crowned with whole wild strawberries or small garden strawberries, their perfume incomparable to any cultivated variety. It is the taste of Swedish summer.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Pastry (Pajdeg):

• 200g (1⅔ cups) plain flour
• 100g (7 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2–3 tbsp (30–45ml) ice-cold water

Pastry Cream (Vaniljkräm):

• 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 80g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 3 tbsp (25g) cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ vanilla pod, scraped
• 30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter

Topping:

• 400g (14 oz) wild strawberries or small sweet garden strawberries, hulled
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly or apricot jam, warmed (for glaze)
• Fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Instructions

1. Rub flour, butter, icing sugar, and salt together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm (⅛ inch) thickness. Line a 24 cm (9 inch) tart tin with removable base. Prick the base with a fork. Blind bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15 minutes with baking weights, then remove weights and bake a further 8–10 minutes until golden. Cool completely.

3. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Heat milk with vanilla to just below boiling, then pour slowly onto the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return to the pan over medium heat and stir until the cream thickens and bubbles, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in butter. Cover surface with cling film and cool completely.

4. Spread cooled pastry cream into the tart shell. Arrange strawberries densely over the cream.

5. Brush warmed jam glaze lightly over the strawberries for shine. Garnish with mint. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Cook's Notes: Wild strawberries (smultrоn) have an ethereal perfume that garden strawberries cannot match; if you can forage or source them, use them. The tart is best assembled no more than 2 hours before serving — the pastry softens if left too long. A splash of elderflower cordial stirred into the pastry cream adds a very Swedish dimension.