Raspberry Tart

Tart using a Pastry Ring

I’ve made many fruit tarts using a pan with a removable bottom and sides with ridges, however this is the first time I’ve made one using a Pastry Ring. A pastry (or tart) ring is simply a ring about 3/4 inches high and can vary from 3 inches wide or larger. Some of the main benefits of using a ring are there is no need to crimp the sides of the tart dough (as you would if using a pie pan) and it produces a nice simple circular line to the tart.

Also, a tart ring can accommodate a pastry dough with a very fine, delicate texture. For instance, my dough recipe here contains powdered icing sugar instead of regular granulated sugar, which would ordinarily tear apart if I tried to fit it into a regular tart pan. No problem though fitting the dough into a tart ring with its shallow base!

Steps for making the Raspberry Tart

First of all, roll the dough out into a circle at least 1 1/2 inches wider that the diameter of the pastry ring. I used a ring 7 inches wide, although you could choose a different width.

Next, place the ring on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drape the dough over the ring then pass a rolling pin over the ring and pull the dough away from the sides of the ring.

Prick the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork then blind bake with either ceramic pie weights or raw beans.

Blind bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, let cool then add the pastry cream and Jellied Raspberry Coulis.

Dip the raspberries in a little syrup made of apricot jam and water. This will make them nice and shiny. Add a few small grapes, then dust with icing (powdered) sugar and a little lime zest!

Thanks for joining me on my food adventure and please ask any questions you might have!

Raspberry Tart
Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 40 mins + 1 hour chill time for pastry cream

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup chilled butter (1/2 stick)

1/3 cup icing (powdered) sugar

2 Tbsps. almond flour

Pinch salt

1 large egg

Jellied Raspberry (or Strawberry) Coulis

1/2 cup raspberries or strawberries

2 Tbsps. sugar

1 tsp water

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 heaping Tbsp. powdered gelatin (unflavored)

Pastry Cream

1 cup whole milk or ‘half and half’

3 Tbsps. sugar

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsps. custard powder (cornstarch)

2 tsps. Butter, chilled

1 Tbsp. vanilla essence

Garnish

2 cups fresh raspberries

¼ cup red currants or other small grapes

Icing (powdered) sugar

Zest from one lime

Instructions

1

To make the Pastry cream (Crème Patissière):

2

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla flavoring to the boil then remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow in color, then add the custard powder (cornstarch).

3

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg/sugar mixture then return to the saucepan. Bring to a semi-boil over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat then whisk in the butter. Spread the pastry cream into a shallow bowl or pan and chill in the fridge for one hour.

4

For the Sweet Pastry Dough:

5

Place the flour, icing sugar, ground almonds, and salt into a bowl. Cut the chilled butter up into cubes and add to the bowl. Rub the ingredients with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the ingredients and add the egg; combine until the mixture forms a homogenous texture. Form into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

6

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place the dough on a lightly-floured work surface; rollout until the dough is 1/8 inch thick to form a circle with a margin 1 ½ inches larger than the diameter of the tart ring. Place the ring on a tray lined with parchment paper, then line the tart ring with the pastry dough. The dough should over-hang the ring by at least one inch. Pass a rolling pin over the tart ring and pull away the dough from the sides of the ring. Refrigerate for ten minutes. Prick the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork. Place either ceramic pie weights or raw beans inside the tart to prevent the dough from rising up in the oven. Blind bake for about 15-20 minutes until the dough is cooked through and turns slightly golden brown. Remove the pie weights and let dough cool for several minutes, then unmold the ring.

7

For the Jellied Raspberry Coulis:

8

Cut the ½ cup raspberries or strawberries into rough pieces. Add to a saucepan along with sugar and a little water. Cook on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until the fruit softens and becomes ‘watery.’ Add the lemon juice and bring to boil. Add the powdered gelatin and stir, remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl and chill for about one hour until mixture thickens into a jelly. If desired, you could whiz the mixture in a blender before chilling it in the fridge.

9

Garnish and Decoration:

10

Make a syrup by adding ¼ cup apricot jam to a small saucepan along with 1 tablespoon water. Heat over medium heat for several minutes until the mixture becomes like syrup. Let cool then dip the whole raspberries into the syrup to make them shiny.

11

Whip the pastry cream for several minutes until it thickens and becomes smooth. Place it in the baked tart shell then add the jellied raspberry (or strawberry) coulis. Arrange the raspberries on top in a single layer. Decorate with several red currants or small grapes, then dust with icing sugar and a little lime zest.