Difficulty: Medium
Start by blanching the rice: place it in a saucepan, cover generously with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drain thoroughly. Transfer to a clean saucepan with the cold milk and vanilla sugar. Simmer on very low heat for 30 minutes, until all the milk is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in the powdered sugar, and let cool for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 210°C (thermostat 7). Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line a buttered 26 cm tart tin. Prick the base lightly with a fork. Cover the dough with parchment paper and weigh down with dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, then bake "blind" for another 10 minutes until golden.
Allow the tart shell to cool completely. Rinse, dry, hull, and halve the strawberries (slice if large). Fold the heavy cream and finely chopped mint leaves into the cooled rice pudding. Fill the cooled tart shell with the rice mixture and arrange the strawberries attractively on top. Serve fresh for the best texture and flavor.
For best results, prepare the components ahead but assemble just before serving to keep the crust crisp.
