Baked Raspberry Tart

Published May 1, 2005. Cooks Illustrated


Why this recipe works:To perfect our baked berry tart recipe—using a prebaked tart shell loaded with raspberries and topped with a simple butter, egg, sugar, and flour batter before baking—we focused on the filling, since we were already happy with our classic pâte sucrée crust. We heightened the filling’s flavor by browning the butter instead of simply melting it and substituted Wondra flour for all-purpose flour in our berry tart filling recipe, for a smooth and silky (rather than starchy and coarse) texture. (less)

To perfect our baked berry tart recipe—using a prebaked tart shell loaded with raspberries and topped with a simple butter, egg, sugar, and flour batter before baking—we focused on the filling, since we were already happy with our classic pâte...(more)

Makes one 9-inch tart, serving 8 to 10
To minimize waste, reserve the egg white left from making the tart pastry for use in the filling. If your raspberries are either very tart or very sweet, adjust the amount of sugar in the filling by about a tablespoon or so. Wondra flour is sold in small canisters in the baking aisle alongside all-purpose flour. All-purpose can be used in place of Wondra, but it will give the filling a slightly starchy, gritty feel. The tart is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers, however, should be refrigerated and brought to room temperature before serving (unfortunately, the crust will be soggy, but the flavor of the tart will be almost as good as when eaten fresh).

Ingredients
Tart Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)
1 large egg yolk 1tablespoon heavy cream 1/2teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
2/3cup confectioners' sugar (about 2 3/4 ounces)
1/4teaspoon table salt 8tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Filling
6tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large egg plus 1 egg white
1/2cup sugar , plus 1 tablespoon
1/4teaspoon table salt 1teaspoon vanilla extract 1teaspoon Kirsch or framboise, optional
1/4teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 1/2teaspoons lemon juice 2tablespoons Wondra flour 2tablespoons heavy cream 2half-pint containers fresh raspberries (about 10 ounces total), picked over
Instructions
1. For the tart pastry: Whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla in small bowl. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor with four 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about twenty 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

2. Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll out between lightly floured large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 11-inch round. (If dough becomes soft and sticky, slip onto baking sheet and refrigerate until workable.) Transfer dough to tart pan by rolling dough loosely over rolling pin and unrolling over 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Working around circumference of pan, ease dough into pan by gently lifting dough with one hand while pressing dough into corners and sides of pan with other hand. Press dough into fluted sides of pan, patching breaks or cracks if necessary. (If some edges are too thin, reinforce sides by folding excess dough back on itself.) Run rolling pin over top of tart pan to remove excess dough. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet or large plate and freeze 30 minutes. (Frozen dough-lined tart pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen up to 1 month.)

3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet; lightly spray one side of 18-inch square heavy-duty extra-wide foil with nonstick cooking spray. Press foil greased side down inside frozen tart shell, folding excess foil over edge of pan; fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake until pastry appears dry and pale gold under foil and edges have just begun to color, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil and weights by gathering edges of foil and pulling up and out. Return baking sheet with tart shell to oven and bake until sides are medium golden brown, about 5 minutes; set on wire rack to cool.

4. For the filling: While tart shell is cooling, heat butter in small saucepan with light-colored interior over medium heat; cook, swirling or stirring occasionally, until butter smells nutty and milk solids at bottom are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer butter to small heatproof bowl to stop cooking; cool butter until just warm to touch. Whisk egg and egg white in medium bowl until combined; add sugar and salt whisk vigorously until light colored, about 1 minute. Whisk in warm browned butter until combined; then whisk in vanilla, framboise, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk in Wondra flour, then whisk in cream until combined.

5. Add berries and bake: Distribute raspberries in single tightly packed layer in bottom of cooled tart shell. Pour filling mixture evenly over raspberries. Place tart on baking sheet in oven. Bake until fragrant and filling is set (does not jiggle when shaken), bubbling lightly around edges, and surface is puffed and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating sheet pan after about 20 minutes for even browning. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, at least 1 1/2 or up to 6 hours. Remove tart pan ring; slide thin-bladed spatula between tart pan bottom and crust to loosen, then slide tart onto serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve.