Fresh Raspberry Tart Recipe

A classic raspberry tart recipe with a shortbread crust filled with pastry cream, topped by an artful arrangement of fresh raspberries, and glazed with jam.

Classic berry tarts are composed of a sweet shortbread crust filled with luscious custard-y pastry cream, topped with an artful arrangement of fresh berries and finally glazed with jam.

For raspberry tarts, Caroline red raspberry is a go-to choice for its color, high flavor and uniform size.

There are four tart-parts: the crust, the pastry cream, the berries and the glaze, which holds the berries in place and gives them a gorgeous sheen. Do not assemble the tart until shortly before it is to be served. The pastry cream may be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated until ready to use.

Fresh Raspberry Tart Recipe

You will need:

A 10-inch baked sweet shortbread crust, baked in a removable-bottom tart pan (recipe below)
1 recipe Pastry Cream (recipe below)
1 to 1-½ pints fresh raspberries
¼ cup raspberry or apricot jam
2 teaspoons berry liqueur (optional)

Pâte Sucrée (sweet shortbread crust)

1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into a small dice
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Add the butter pieces and with a pastry blender or your fingers, work the mixture together until it looks like big crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of the ice water and work it into the dough. You may need to add a little more water in order to make the dough come together, but do not overwork it or it will take on the texture of cardboard. Shape the dough into a mound and cover completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (do not skip this step; the dough needs to rest).

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Roll your dough out on a lightly-floured surface to an approximately 13” circle, and lay it in the removable-bottom tart pan. Press the dough into the pan, then take your rolling pin and roll it along the edge of the pan to trim the excess dough. Line with foil or parchment and fill with dry beans or pie weights.

Partially bake the crust for 13-14 minutes. Carefully remove the beans/weights and the foil/parchment and return to the oven. Bake another 12-13 minutes, until evenly golden-brown.

Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream)

1/2 of a vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise
1 cup whole milk
4-1/2 teaspoons flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
4 teaspoons cold unsalted butter

Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into a medium saucepan. Add the milk and the scraped vanilla bean pod. Heat to the scalding point, but do not simmer. Remove pan from heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is pale yellow. Stirring constantly, add 1/3 cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture, then whisk the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan of hot milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (about 4 or 5 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a mixing bowl, and discard the vanilla bean. Stir in the butter until it melts and is completely incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it down against the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Makes about 1-1/3 cups.

Jam Glaze

1/4 cup seedless red raspberry or apricot jam
2 teaspoons berry liqueur (optional) or fruit juice

In a small saucepan or in the microwave, combine the jam and fruit juice (or optional berry liqueur) and heat until liquified. Cool to room temperature.

To assemble the tart:

Gently wash your raspberries in a colander and drain for at least 10 minutes. Carefully dry them on paper towels.
With the cooled crust still in the pan, spread the chilled pastry cream evenly into the crust.
Starting at the outside edge, place the raspberries next to one another, hole-side down, in concentric circles until you reach the middle of the tart.
With a soft pastry brush (Jacques* uses a feather), very gently paint the raspberries with the room-temperature glaze mixture. Do not pour the glaze over the berries or the tart will be too wet.
Remove the filled tart to a serving plate at this point and cover.
Chill for 1-2 hours. Cut and serve immediately. Keeps for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Happy Raspberry Tart Day!

*Adapted from a handwritten recipe by Jacques Pépin.