Strawberry Tart with Orange Blossom Pastry Cream & Whipped Goat Cheese

For the tart shell:Put the butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes. Continue mixing and add one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl after each egg is added. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour. Beat the mixture until a dough forms, one to two minutes. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight. (You can freeze the dough for up to two months in a plastic freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator.)

Place the chilled dough on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a one-eighth-inch-thick circle. Spray a nine-inch tart pan with nonstick baking spray. Transfer the rolled dough to the pan. Gently press the dough into the sides and bottom of the pan. Trim excess dough so the shell is even with the rim of the pan. Refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  

Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
 

For the orange blossom pastry cream:

Combine the milk, half of the sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
 
Whisk together the remaining sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture. Pour the mixture into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens and boils, three to five minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Immediately pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat on a low speed until it begins to cool, about 10 minutes. Add orange blossom water. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a container. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream so it won’t develop a skin. Tightly cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to four days.

For the whipped goat cheese:
Let the goat cheese stand at room temperature for one hour. Put the goat cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth, about three minutes. Set aside.

Pour the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the cream to medium-stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture until it is incorporated. Tightly cover and refrigerate for up to eight hours.

To assemble:Wash the strawberries and dry on paper towels. Remove the stems and slice the strawberries.

 Put the strawberry jam in a small saucepan. Heat the jam over low heat until it is just warm. Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom of the baked tart shell with the strawberry jam. Spread the pastry cream evenly over the jam. Top the cream with the sliced strawberries.

Slice and serve with dollops of whipped goat cheese mixture on the side.