This impressive dessert is the perfect way to celebrate the summer season. Take advantage of candy-sweet local strawberries, and make like the Swedes with this delicious and beautiful recipe. Perfect for entertaining, it’s also ideal for treating yourself at fika. Swedes are famous for fika, which simply means taking a break for coffee, a sweet treat and socializing—something we could all use in our own frenetic schedules. Strawberries are health powerhouses in their own right, boasting high leaves of polyphenols and antioxidants, as well as fiber, helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and protect your heart. The almond milk and flour in the crust here provide vitamin E, magnesium and fiber, as well as satiating protein to keep your blood sugar stable.

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 7-8 tablespoons almond milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Crust Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the two flours and the salt. Gradually add in the almond milk a little at a time, until the dough starts to stick together when you squeeze it between your fingers.
3. Press the dough into a tart pan, going up the sides and ensuring it’s all in a smooth, even layer. Use the tines of a fork to prick holes all over the base of the dough (this keeps it from puffing up while baking).
4. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until firm and golden brown. Chill in the fridge before filling.

Pastry Cream Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Pastry Cream Directions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to simmer around the edges, but remove it from the heat before it starts boiling.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Add the flour and cornstarch and whisk again until smooth.
3. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, being careful not to add too much milk at once so as not to scramble the eggs.
4. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla.
5. Transfer to a container and put plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream so it doesn’t develop a skin. Refrigerate until cold.

Assembly:

Spread the pastry cream in an even layer over the baked and chilled crust. Cover the cream with sliced strawberries, and a few strawberry leaves and buds if you have them. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!