Tarte aux Framboises

the jewel of the French pâtisserie window: a crisp sweet pastry shell filled with silken vanilla crème pâtissière and crowned with a close-set carpet of fresh raspberries, glazed to a bright shine

Origin: France

From the journey of Raspberry.

The tarte aux framboises is one of the classic fresh-fruit tarts of the French pâtisserie, built on the same faultless logic as the tarte aux fraises and the tarte aux fruits: a crisp, buttery shell of pâte sucrée, a smooth layer of vanilla crème pâtissière, and a close-set crown of perfect fresh fruit, glazed to a jewelled shine. In the raspberry version the fruit is stood upright, hollow side down, in tight concentric rings so that the finished tart is a carpet of scarlet domes, and the raspberry's clean, sharp brightness is the perfect foil to the rich, sweet custard beneath. It is a tart that demands no cooking of the fruit and therefore the finest possible raspberries, for they are the whole point; the pastry and the crème pâtissière are the frame, but the fresh raspberry is the picture. The tart belongs to the great tradition of the French fruit tart perfected in the nineteenth century, when the pâtissiers of Paris raised the humble fruit pie into an object of precision and beauty, and it remains a fixture of the pâtisserie window and the family Sunday table alike. A light glaze of warmed, sieved raspberry or redcurrant jelly gives the shine and keeps the fruit from drying.

Ingredients

Pâte Sucrée

  • 200 g plain flour
  • 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 80 g icing sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch fine salt

Crème Pâtissière

  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 40 g cornflour
  • 25 g unsalted butter

To Assemble

  • 500 g fresh raspberries
  • 3 tbsp seedless raspberry jam or redcurrant jelly, for glaze

Method

  1. Make the pastry: rub the cold butter into the flour, icing sugar, and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs, then bind with the egg to a dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, prick the base, and chill again for 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes until the base is dry and pale gold. Leave to cool completely.
  3. Make the crème pâtissière: heat the milk with the split vanilla pod until steaming. Whisk the yolks, caster sugar, and cornflour to a smooth paste. Pour the hot milk over, whisking, then return to the pan and cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick and boiling. Cook one minute more, then beat in the butter. Scrape into a bowl, press cling film onto the surface, and chill until cold.
  4. Beat the cold crème pâtissière smooth with a whisk, then spread it evenly in the cooled pastry shell.
  5. Arrange the raspberries hollow-side down over the custard in tight concentric rings, packing them closely to cover the whole surface. Warm the jam or jelly with a teaspoon of water until liquid, sieve if needed, and brush lightly over the fruit to glaze. Chill until serving.

Notes

The tart is best assembled on the day it is eaten, as the crisp pastry softens once filled. The crème pâtissière and the baked shell can both be made a day ahead and kept separately, chilled, then assembled a few hours before serving. A thin layer of melted white or dark chocolate brushed over the cooled pastry base before the custard is added seals it and keeps it crisp for longer. For a richer filling, fold a little whipped cream into the cold crème pâtissière to make a crème diplomate.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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