Prepare the pastry tart shells

1. In a mixing bowl, mix in flour, icing sugar and salt.  Mix well. 
2. Add in chilled diced butter.  Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it has a sand-like texture.
3. Beat an egg and mix it with vanilla extract.  Pour into the flour-butter mixture.  Mix with a silicone spatula until it turns into a sticky, cohesive dough. 
4. Prepare a sheet of cling film on a work surface.  Place the dough onto it, flatten it, and wrap it tightly.  Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes or until it is firm.  
5. When the dough is firm, cut half of it and re-wrap the remaining half in the cling film, keeping it chilled until needed.  
6. Sandwich the half portion of dough between two sheets of cling film.  Roll it out into 4 mm thickness.  Feel free to chill the rolled dough into the fridge whenever it goes soft.  It is much easier to work with when chilled. 
7. Use a cutter which is slightly larger than the size of the tart tin to cut out the pastry tart shell. Peel off the excess dough and re-roll it to make all the tarts. 
8. Place one portion at a time in the centre of a tart tin, using your thumbs to gently press the dough down and towards the edges of the tin to ensure it’s perfectly lined.
9. Line the remaining tart tins.  Once all done, place the tart tins on a baking sheet for easy transferring.  Chill the pastry tart shells in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up the fat in the mixture.  
10. Towards the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 160℃ fan / 350℉.  
11.  Prick the tart shells using a fork.  This allows trapped steam to escape during baking, preventing the pastry from bubbling up and creating an uneven base.  
12. Line the pastry tarts with parchment paper and weigh them down with baking beans. Blind bake them until they are slightly golden brown.  This will take around 15 minutes.
13. After 15 minutes, take the tarts out of the oven and carefully lift up the parchment paper to remove the baking beans. Return the tarts to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until they turn a golden brown. Remove them from the oven.
14. Brush a very thin layer of egg white over the pastry. This acts as a protective barrier, preventing the filling from soaking into the crust.
15. To ensure the egg white is safe to eat, return the tart shells to the oven for another minute.
16. Once done, allow the tart shells to cool completely in the tins.
17. Carefully un-mould the completely cooled tart shells.  

Prepare the matcha pastry cream

1. Pour in milk, double cream and butter into a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Bring to simmer until bubbles form on the sides.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool.  
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously until well combined.
3. Sift in matcha powder.  Then add in cornflour.  Whisk until everything is incorporated.
4. Pour the slightly cooled milk mixture slowly into the matcha mixture.  Whisk gently until well combined.
5. Pour the matcha-infused milk mixture back into the saucepan over medium-low heat.  Whisk continuously until it thickens to custard-like consistency. It should fall off the whisk in ribbons without being runny or dripping.
6. Transfer the matcha pastry cream to a bowl and cover with cling film, placing it directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming.
7. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until completely chilled.
8. Beat the matcha pastry cream until completely chilled using a handheld mixer on medium-low speed until smooth.
9. Transfer into a piping bag for easier decorating.

Prepare the glaze

1. Microwave the apricot jam for a few seconds.
2. Mix it with about 1 tsp of water.  It’s ready to use.
3. Strain the jam if you want a smoother texture (optional).
4. If the glaze thickens by the time you need it, simply microwave it for a few seconds to liquefy it again.

Assemble the tart

1. Spread about a tablespoon of strawberry jam in the centre of the tart shells (this is optional, I enjoy the extra strawberry boost and balance it gives).
2. Pipe a layer of matcha pastry cream to fill up the tart.  Smooth it out to create a flat base, using an offset spatula.
3. Pipe a ruffled border using a straight petal tip with the wide side facing down. Place the piping bag at an angle and gently squeeze as you pipe from left to right in a zig-zag pattern.  When you’re finished, simply stop squeezing the bag and gently pull it away from the tart to complete the border.
4. Repeat the same process to create a second ruffle.
5. Slice some strawberries and arrange the slices to your artistic liking.
6. For the final beautiful finish, brush a thin layer of apricot jam glaze onto the strawberry slices to create that glossy, juicy look.
7. Enjoy these sumptuous tarts!