Valentine’s Day Strawberry pie

Start with the butter cream. Put the water and suger in a pan and boil. Whipp the egg white until foamy and pour the hot water and sugar syrup so that you get an Italian meringue. Let it cool down. Then whip the meringue with the butter at room temperature in your food processor. Set aside at room temperature.

Then prepare the nut crumble. Mix all powders (flour, brown sugar, nut powder and salt). Add gently the butter at room temperature with a whip until you get an homogeneous mixture. Place your crumble on an oven plate and cook for 30 minutes at 150°C. Set aside at room temperature.

Then put your sheets of gelatine in cold water.

Pour the milk, cream and vanilla pod in a pan and boil. As soon as it starts boiling, remove from your cooking stove. Keep it that way for 15 minutes.

In a bowl mix vigourously the egg yolks and sugar until it gets white. The sugar has to be completely melted.

Add the regular flour and cornflour until you have a homogeneous mixture.

Add half of your vanila milk (remove the vanilla pod first), whip and pour into the pan with the rest of the milk.

Whip and boil for 2 minutes. You have to keep whipping during that time! Remove from your cooking stove.

Remove the gelatine sheets from the water and squeeze gently. Add to the mixture and whip vigourously.

Pour the cream in a large plate, cover with a plastic wrap so that there is no air contact.

Let it cool down in your fridge for an hour.

Mix gently your cream with 130 g of butter cream.

Take your sponge cake and cut two identical shapes. Put the first one in a mold (same shape and size as your sponge cake other.

Spread a thin layer of cream.

Place the strawberries vertically.

Cover the strawberries with the rest of the cream with a spatula.

Then put the second sponge cake.

Set aside in the fridge for 3 hours.

When it's time to serve, spread nut crumble on top of your pie with a few strawberries.