In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, poppy seeds and salt. With a pastry cutter, two knives or your hands cut/work the butter into the dry ingredients. When small crumbs with visible well distributed butter is reached, the dough is ready for liquid.
In a small bowl, whisk 2 Tablespoons heavy cream and the egg yolk. Drizzle over the flour mixture, then gently incorporate with a fork. Squeeze the dough between your fingers; crumbs should stick throughout but aren’t sticky.
Pour the mixture onto your work surface. Avoid over handling the dough. Divide the dough in two, then gather and flatten into ½ to ¾“ disks. Wrap and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Remove and work with one dough disk at a time. Let come to a workable roll-able (word!) state on the counter; let stand about 10 minutes.
Once ready to roll, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Use a knife or bench scraper and divide dough disk into 8 triangles. Shape each into a ball, then flatten and roll into a 5-6” disk aiming for 1/8” thick. To avoid sticking rotate the dough every few rolls. If necessary, lightly re-flour underneath the tart dough. Once the dough is in shape, brush any excess flour and transfer by letting the dough fall in the middle. Without stretching, gently press the dough against the pan side, then trim by pushing your thumb perpendicular along the top edge. To make a consistent and similar thickness, I find it helps to allow a smidge extra dough on top, then gently press downward into the tart pan. If tears or holes happen along the bottom or sides, no worries, take tiny pieces of scrape dough and carefully patch and smooth them.
Freeze the tarts on a baking sheet for 20 minutes, then line with crumpled parchment or foil with a 1” overhang. Fill the tarts with pie weights or dried beans and on the same sheet, bake for 8-10 minutes, the edges may begin to brown.
With the separated egg white; whisk with a couple tablespoons heavy cream. Carefully remove foil and beans from tart shells. Lightly brush the bottom to midway up the side; this helps seal the crust preventing a soggy bottom. Add a light sprinkle of cane sugar to each tart bottom and continue baking until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks and 1 Tablespoon sugar; whisk until pale yellow in color. Sift the flour over the lightened egg yolk combination, then whisk to incorporate.
In a medium saucepan combine milk, all but one tablespoon sugar, vanilla bean and reserved bean seeds. Heat over medium until the sugar’s dissolved and the milk is about to boil, about 5 minutes.
Give one more whisk to the egg yolk mixture; slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the entire mix back into the saucepan. Whisk non-stop until the mixture thickens and just comes to a boil, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and discard vanilla bean. Strain pastry cream through a fine sieve over a medium/large bowl, then whisk in butter until melted. To prevent a skin from forming, press parchment or plastic over the surface (leaving little gaps or air pockets) then place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Refrigerate until chilled, two hours or overnight.
Fresh Whipped Cream and Glazed Strawberries
When ready to serve—chill a medium (preferably glass or metal) bowl and electric beaters in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Using an electric mixer starting on medium-low, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it starts to thicken. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue until soft towards stiff peaks form peaks form. Avoid over beating. Cover and place whipped cream in the refrigerator.
Assembly
Prepare tiny strawberries: hull, slice and pat dry.
Stir one cup prepared whipped cream into whisked vanilla bean pastry cream, then divide into the tart shells. Fill about ¼" below the tart rim, then overlap and circle the strawberries same side up facing.
In a saucepan over medium heat add the jelly. If using jam, either strain or dodge lumps, then add a tablespoon of water and mix. Stir until the mixture liquifies, then remove and let cool slightly. Brush the strawberries with a light hand, as little goes a long way. If the jelly becomes thick, reheat to thin and continue.
Layer or pipe with whipped cream and serve.
Notes
Adapted from a favorite magazine, Bake's French Issue.Dough If dough has been refrigerated for over an hour, let stand ten minutes before rolling.Dough can be made and refrigerated three days in advance or double wrapped and frozen for up to two weeks.Formed tart shells also be double wrapped and frozen for up to two months. Frozen tart shells can be baked (without thawing) straight from the freezer. Vanilla BeanOne tablespoon pure vanilla extract or paste can be used in place. Jelly/JamA neutral or similar jelly works best for the strawberries. If jam is all you have, that's fine too, just strain, scoop, use as much liquid as possible.If needing to thin the jelly with water, adding a tad of orange juice to the strawberry jam tastes good too.