Queen of tarts: raspberry

Every July, the raspberry patch offers its gift of edible red gems. And I make a raspberry tart to celebrate. While the Pilgrim colonists baked tarts and pies, a raspberry tart would have appeared in the New World later. Raspberries are not native to the area, although they have since naturalized. I baked my first raspberry tart in the traditional way, which calls for cooking the fruit, but because raspberries taste best in their natural, just-picked state, I soon settled on an unbaked version. This tart calls for a sweet pastry crust and whipped crème fraîche. If you don’t have crème fraîche, you can substitute whipped cream, but you’ll be missing the tangy element that contrasts with the fruit.

Cool raspberry tart

Pastry:
1 to 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Sift one cup flour, salt and confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. Cut in diced butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until mixture is pebbly. Add the egg and mix until pastry begins to hold together. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. When the dough makes a ball or disk, transfer it to a loose-bottom tart pan. Press the dough in place with your fingers dusted in flour. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least two hours. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the foil from the dough and set aside. Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork. Snugly line the shell with foil; then add rice, dried beans or other baking weights to prevent shrinkage. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake the crust for another 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a rack before filling.

Filling:
Whip a cup of crème fraîche with a tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar until stiff. Fill pastry shell with whipped crème fraîche and top with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired. Serves six.