Sponge Strawberry Tartlets

Ingredients

• 90 g butter
• 6 Eggs
• 175 g sugar
• 150 g flour
• 700 g strawberries
• 250 g whipping cream
• 1 packet Bourbon vanilla sugar
• maraschino liqueur (or a mild grappa as substitute)
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and dust the tartlet pans with flour. Melt butter over gentle heat. Separate yolks from whites and place in two mixing bowls. Add sugar to the yolks. Whisk yolks and sugar in a double boiler until thick and creamy. Lift the thick, pale cream from the water bath. Sift flour onto the egg cream. Do not stir!

2. 2.

   Add the liquid, only lukewarm butter. Beat the whites into stiff peaks. Gently fold one third of the meringue into the egg cream. Spoon the remaining meringue over the loosened mixture.

3. 3.

   Carefully mix everything together, folding gently. Pour the sponge batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface. Bake for 35 minutes until golden yellow.

4. 4.

   Transfer the sponge onto a cooling rack, flip it over, and let it cool.

5. 5.

   Cut the cooled sponge into three equal-thick layers. Using a ring mold on the lowest layer, cut out eight layers. Place the ring molds on dessert plates and insert the layers.

6. 6.

   Wash strawberries, pat dry, remove stems, and halve them. Arrange halves with cut sides outward and broad side down on the layers (cut sides against the ring walls).

7. 7.

   Crush the middle layer. Fill each tartlet with crumbs. Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of maraschino over each tartlet and refrigerate for 2 hours.

8. 8.

   Before serving, whip the cream with vanilla sugar until stiff. Carefully remove the ring molds and spread 1–2 tablespoons of whipped cream on each tartlet.

9. 9.

   Steam the remaining strawberries with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons water for 1–2 minutes. Puree and strain through a sieve. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of the sauce around the tartlets. Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve.