SO LONG SUMMER BREAKFAST TART

Last week it was still dark outside when I had to get out of bed in the morning! And then it dawned on me: slowly autumn is taking over. I really love this time of year: the extreme heat is gone for at least nine months, the cloudy silver and grey sky looks awesome, my kitchen garden thrives without me having to water it every 30 minutes and I can wear my socks and coat again! Not only did my wardrobe change over the last week my breakfast did the same. Shooting Star Smoothies and Cherry Vanilla Mousse are no longer sufficient. It’s time for a new breakfast that will endure the fall. Because I know many of you will have much more difficulties with saying goodbye to summer than I have I thought of a Breakfast Tart. Trust me: getting out of bed in the morning is a lot easier knowing this beauty awaits you on the breakfast table, even when it’s still dark outside!

My Breakfast Tart is a simple variation on the English shortcake. Traditionally English shortcake has multiple layers of strawberry jam and cake. My Breakfast Tart only has three layers: a bottom layer of cake, one layer of whole strawberries and a top layer of cake. The beauty of this Tart lays in the fact that you can use all sorts of summer fruits and it does not have to be farm-fresh. Fruit that's a little bruised will even taste a bit better I would say. I made this Tart with whole strawberries in the middle and because of that the bottom is deliciously moist. Although Paul Hollywood would immediately send me home because of this mortal sin I rather like the transition in the layers. From very crispy top to smooth fruit and soft bottom. It’s a real breakfast treat!

English shortcake is at least 475 years old, the first recipe is found in a cookbook printed in 1588. It is made with flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, and eggs and a variation of fruit can be added. During the 19th century shortcake became a very popular dessert. When the English colonized America they also introduced their adoration of shortcake. Farmers in the New World organized annual shortcake parties with piles and piles of cakes and strawberries to celebrate that year’s harvest. Up until now it’s Strawberry Shortcake Day on the 14th of June every year in the United States. Eventually the French had their say about shortcakes – because eventually the French will always have their say about anything in the world of patisserie. In 1910 the French replaced the traditional top layer of butter with whipped cream. So if it's a real festive breakfast that you're going for you can do as the French do and put a big dollop of cream on top!

So Long Summer Breakfast Tart

Serves 8

Ingredients

175 gr melted coconut oil or butter

2 eggs

2 tbsp milk of your choice

75-175 gr sugar or honey (depending on how sweet you like your breakfast)

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract 

500 gr strawberries or other summer fruit + more to decorate your tart with

125 gr spelt flour or 125 gr oat flour (rolled oats pulsed in your food processor until it resembles flour)

125 gr self-rising flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1. In a large bowl mix the oil with the eggs, sugar, milk, zest and vanilla until it starts to foam and doubles in size. If you don't see any difference while mixing keep going for at least 7 minutes. The result will thank you for it. 

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Line a baking mold with paper.

3. In another bowl mix the flours with the baking powder and salt. Fold the flour mix through the egg mix.

4. Cover the bottom of the baking mold with half of the dough. Cover the dough with the strawberries and add the rest of the dough to cover the strawberries. 

5. Bake for about 50 minutes in the oven until golden. Let cool down completely before taking the tart out of the mold. Decorate with more fruit, coconut or chocolate flakes and sugar powder. 

Serve for breakfast with a hot cup of tea. The tart will also do just fine as dessert for that matter.