Strawberry Custard Squares

These squares turned out fairly nicely - light, refreshing, and plenty of strawberry. Actually, you could have easily added a few more strawberries if you like a lot of fruit filling. I halved this recipe, which came from another one of my funny cooking novels, to make an 8x8 inch pan of squares. I do not recommend halving the crust, as I did not have nearly enough for even a very thin layer on the bottom of the pan, and I had to whip up another batch of crust to cover. After I did, it turned out perfectly. I am not sure what the purpose of the extra layer of flour and sugar over the crust is, I am wondering if it would be better on top of the strawberries to sweeten up the strawberries a bit. The strawberry layer tastes just like strawberry jam, and I would suggest adding at least a little sugar to the strawberries before using them, this will make them juicier too. Then there is a nice baked layer of cream and eggs, sort of like a custard. Once cooled, I also topped the squares with an additional layer of whipped cream, lightened up with a little unflavored yogurt. This added a nice other layer to the bars, and a lightness and creaminess to the squares.

Strawberry Custard Squares
CRUST
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small cubes
2 Tablespoons whipping cream
FILLING
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
3 cups sliced strawberries (or other sliced fruit)
TOPPING
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose (plain) flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or strawberry extract if you have it)

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. 
CRUST: In am medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender (or a fork or two knives, or even a potato masher) until mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in the cream. Pat mixture into prepared pan.
FILLING: Combine the flour and sugar together and sprinkle over crust. Arrange strawberries on top.
TOPPING: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the sugar and the flour. Stir in the eggs, cream, and vanilla. Pour mixture over fruit in prepared pan. 
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until top is light brown.

Fluke, Joanne. "Strawberry Custard Squares." Recipe. Peach Cobbler Murder, New York: Kensington, 2005. 245-246.