If you’re looking for a pretty bit of pastry to make a new friend, look no further than raspberries, strawberries, and almonds- this tarte is something that will enchant you and your guests. A flaky layer of pastry follows an oozing layer of fruit puree, topped with a mousse-y, creamy, thick almond layer. What’s not to like? This sophisticated dessert will impress your friends, is relatively simple, and chock-full of vitamin C (did you know strawberries are superhigh in their vitamin C content? excellent excuse)
Raspberry-Strawberry & Almond Tarte
Adapted from The Complete Step-by-Step Family Cookbook’s Raspberry & Almond Tart
Ingredients:
The pastry:
- 1.5 cups organic AP flour
- 1/2 cup organic ground almond meal
- 1 tblspn crushed slivered almonds
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1 stick organic soy butter, very cold, cut into cubes
- 1/4 heaping cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk (organic, brown, cage-free)
- 2 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
The filling:
- 4 tblspn organic soy butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup crushed slivered almonds (toasted lightly)
- 3 eggs (organic, brown, cage-free)
- 1.5 cups frozen strawberries, in chunks
- 1 heaping cup fresh raspberries
Process:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Blend together the dry pastry ingredients (flour, sugar, almond meal, salt) in a food processor for a few short pulses. Then add the butter cubes and pulse repeatedly until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water and pour it through the feed tube of the processor while continually pulsing. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, continually adding more flour in small batches until the dough is no longer super-sticky to handle. Wrap in clingwrap and chill in fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling: blend together the raspberries and strawberries; set aside in a container and chill in the fridge. Then blend together the butter, sugar, ground almonds, and eggs until it becomes a smooth, mousse-y mixture, and place in the fridge as well.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out (on a lightly floured surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin) onto a 9-inch tart pan (fluted edges preferable). Roll your pin around the sides to remove the excess and dock the dough firmly on the sides. I used the extra to line the bottom a second time- you can make a second, smaller tart (or galette, which I also did this time) if you wish!
- Poke holes along the bottom and sides, and bake the tart empty for 12 minutes. Then, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled, pour the fruit puree evenly onto the tart dough. Then spoon on the almond mixture, until it evenly coats the top of the fruit puree.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the tart crust looks golden brown and the almond mousse/mixture is golden brown as well. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy warm with ice cream, or cool overnight and have cool the next day with hot tea.
It’s seriously delicious, and rather versatile- you could switch out the fruits and nuts and make this a totally new tart! I like tha layered filling idea, and am tempted to try a variety of combinations here. I liked it hot, but far prefered it cool and chilled the next day as a tea cake. You may like it either way- try it and find out! :)
