French Raspberry Tart Recipes

RASPBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
• Butter one side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Spread the tart with raspberry preserves and place the raspberries, stem end down, in concentric circles. If you are making a square tart, place the raspberries in rows. Serve immediately.

RICK STEIN'S FRENCH RASPBERRY TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, mix the butter and sugar in a bowl, then add the egg yolks to make a smooth paste. Add the flour and mix to bring the dough together in a ball. Wrap it in cling film and chill for up to 20-30 minutes until firm enough to roll. For the crème patissière, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla pod and seeds, then remove the pan from the heat. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and both flours in a bowl to form a paste. Gradually add the warm milk to the egg and flour paste, removing the vanilla pod, and stir well until you have a smooth custard. Rinse out the milk pan and pour in the custard mixture. Bring it to the boil over a medium heat and stir continuously, until the custard is really thick. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover the surface of the crème patissière with cling film or greaseproof paper, then set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a loose-bottomed 25cm tart tin or 8 individual 10cm loose-bottomed tart tins. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and add baking beans, then bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and put the pastry back in the oven for another 4-5 minutes to finish cooking. Set aside to cool. Carefully remove the pastry from the tin or tins and fill with the chilled crème patissière. Smooth the top with a damp palette knife. Arrange the raspberries on top in concentric circles. Warm the redcurrant jelly in a pan with a tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, generously paint the raspberries with the warm jelly, then leave to set. Serve with whipped cream.

CLASSIC FRENCH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.
• Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs," especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).
• Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
• Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.
• Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

FRENCH RASPBERRY TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and egg yolks.
• Beat with an electric mixer until thick and light yellow.
• In a 1 quart heavy non-aluminum saucepan heat the half-and-half over medium high heat.
• Stir constantly.
• When you see a few small bubbles start to rise up from the side of pan, remove from heat.
• Slowly pour 1/3 of the hot half-and-half, whisking fast and constantly as you pour.
• When it is well incorporated stir the warmed egg mixture back into the pan of milk, whisking constantly.
• Over medium low heat heat until the custard is very thick and a few bubbles begin to surface.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in vanilla and butter.
• Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled custard into the baked tart shell.
• Top with the raspberries, round ends up, working from the outside in a circular pattern until the surface is covered.
• In a small pan over low heat melt jelly, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
• Evenly spoon warmed jelly over raspberries.
• Chill Completely.
• Offer whipped cream and serve.

RASPBERRY ALMOND TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar; cut in 1/2 cup butter until crumbly. Beat 1 egg; add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom. Spread 1/4 cup of jam over dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate., Meanwhile, cream remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy; stir in almonds and extract. Add remaining eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; spoon filling over jam. Place tart pan on a baking sheet., Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Carefully remove sides from pan. Spread remaining jam on top. Combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice; drizzle over the top.