Raspberry Tart

It’s easy to make. The crust requires no rolling out. You just process flour, butter, and powdered sugar in a food processor or blender until it comes together in a dough, and then you press the dough into a tart pan with your fingers. You do pre-bake the crust, and I find that freezing a crust before you pre-bake it helps keep the crust sides from collapsing as they bake, so this step may be a little fussy, but it’s not hard.

We used a ceramic tart pan for this tart. I’m guessing that it would work just as well with a metal pan with a removable bottom, as long as you placed the pan on top of a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to catch any butter from the crust that may leak.

Many thanks to my friend Gabrielle who gave us this recipe with a twinkle in her eye, just knowing how much we would enjoy her raspberry walnut tart. Thanks Gabby!

Raspberry Walnut Tart Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups (200g) flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (80g)
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup or 12 Tbsp) butter

Filling:

• 3/4 cup (75g) chopped walnuts
• 10 ounces (283g) frozen or fresh raspberries (do not defrost if frozen)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
• 1/4 (35g) cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

1 Make the crust. Place the crust ingredients—flour, powdered sugar, and butter—in a blender or food processor. Process until a dough forms, about 30 seconds to a minute. Lightly grease the inside of  a 9 to 10 inch wide, 1 inch high, tart pan with a little butter.  Place the dough in the tart pan. (You can use a pie dish if you do not have a tart pan.) Use your fingers to spread the dough and press it evenly all over the inside of the tart pan.  (You can use a rolling pin to roll over the top of the tart pan to remove any excess dough and create an even top edge.) Place in the freezer and freeze for one hour or longer.

Pre-bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned all over. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

2 Heat the oven again to 350F (175°C). Place the chopped walnuts in the crust in the tart pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Place the fresh or frozen raspberries on top of the walnuts and spread in an even layer.

3 Beat together the remaining filling ingredients—eggs, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla—until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the raspberries and walnuts in the crust.

4 Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the filling has set.  When you remove the tart from the oven the center should still wiggle just a little. Take a sharp knife around the edge of the tart to separate it a little bit from the pan. This will make it easier to remove pieces once the tart has cooled.

Let cool to room temperature to serve.

Yield: Serves 8.