Rustic tarts are one of the simplest fruit desserts to make because there is no pan involved or par-baking. Most of us have a standard crust recipe that we use to make pies or you can use mine which is pretty easy to put together in a stand mixer or by hand with a pastry blender.
Fresh raspberries are always a nice berry to use in fruit tarts because they are sweet without being too sweet and hold their shape even after baking. In this recipe, I mix together an almond paste in my food processor to add a hint of nuttiness to the tart. To create the paste, you add almonds, butter, sugar and an egg yolk to a food processor and puree — ta-da — almond paste. You can prepare the almond paste ahead and store in your refrigerator for a week or so and use it on baking day.
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour + more for rolling
2 tablespoon organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cold
1/3 cup ice water
Almond Paste
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/3 cup organic sugar
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
Fruit
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup organic sugar
To Prepare:
1. Add the dry Crust ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix together on low until combined, 1 minute. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch dice and add it to the dry ingredients while the mixer is running on low. Mix for 2 minutes or until coarse crumbs. Add the ice water to the flour/butter mixture and mix on low, just until the dough comes together. Place the dough onto plastic wrap and form into a disc, cover the dough completely with the plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, you can store the dough up to 1 day in the refrigerator.
2. To make the almond paste, add the almonds, sugar, butter, extract and egg yolk to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the dough and place on a floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 14-inch circle. Using the rolling pin, roll the dough up and place it onto a parchment lined baking pan.
4. Spread the almond paste on top of the dough, leaving a 3-inch boarder.
5. Place the raspberries on top of the almond paste and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Fold the edges of the crust around the fruit to seal. Place the tart in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden slightly before baking. This will ensure that the crust doesn’t spread during baking. Brush the crust with half & half or egg white before placing it in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes.
6. When the crust is golden brown and the fruit bubbling slightly, remove the tart from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Slice and serve with your favorite ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
No Comments