strawberry tarts . . .

Would you like a bite . . .
of one of these sweet little tarts?

I thought you might . . . : )

such a special way to end an evening meal . . .
by adding a little bit of summer sunshine - regardless of the season!

Well - they are really pretty easy to make . . .

but I will admit to you that  the crusts do take a little bit of time.
This wonderful recipe is adapted from . . . Tarts (by Maxine Clark)

We will start off by making a simple Pate Brisee crust . . .
a simple . . . unsweetened shortcrust . . .
which is strong - and can easily support the fresh berries!

Simple ingredients are used to make the tart shells . . .
flour, salt, unsalted butter, egg yolks, and cold water . . .

it is as simple as that!

sift the flour and salt together - and set aside . . .

then in a food processor . . . mix together the butter and egg . . .

once mixed together - add the ice cold water

and blend again until smooth.

add the flour/salt mixture to the butter mixture . . .

and mix until it is barely blended . . . and makes a crumbly mixture as shown.

On a lightly floured surface . . .
knead the dough gently and then roll it into a ball.
Flatten it out and wrap it up in plastic wrap . . .

and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it back to room temperature . . .

roll out dough to about 1/8" thick or less . . . then line the little tartlette pans.

(be sure to press the dough evenly into the fluted sides)

Prick with a fork and return to the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . . .

Once at temperature . . .
bake the tart shells by placing parchment paper on top of the crusts . . .
and adding baking beans / pie weights on top of the parchment paper.
Bake for about about 5 to 7 minutes
.

Remove from oven . . .
remove parchment paper and baking beans / pie weights.
Return to the oven and cook for approximately 5 more minutes.

Glaze the tart crusts with egg to seal them . . .

 and return to oven for 5 to 7 minutes more . . .

or until they are a BEAUTIFUL golden brown!
(be sure that the egg has been cooked!)

Let cool.

and voila - you have some beautiful tart shells . . .

beautiful in color . . . light and crispy . . .

and ready to be filled!!

Now it is time to make the filling and glaze for the berries . . .

you will need some beautiful raspberries . . . some creme fraiche. . . some heavy whipping cream,

a bit of Framboise (a raspberry malt type beer) . . . some homemade raspberry jam . . .

and also some homemade berry jelly for the berry glaze.

First of all - you will need to strain the jam to remove the seeds . . .
then place the jam in a separate bowl . . .

add the heavy whipping cream, the cream fraiche . . . and the Framboise to the strained jam . . .
and whip until beautiful peaks form
(be careful not to over whip!!)
Refrigerate until the berries are ready to go!

Warm up the berry jelly on the stove . . .
and gently coat the berries in a large bowl.
Refrigeratethe berries until cooled.

Now it is time for the fun part . . .
time to fill the tart shells with the filling . . .
and top with those beautiful glazed berries . . .
These raspberry tarts need to be served as soon as possible after they are made!!

This is one of those recipes that will look absolutely beautiful . . .
just like in these pictures - seriously!!

but even more importantly . . .



these little raspberry tarts are soooo fresh and delicious . . .
just like a sweet taste of sunshine on a summer day!!

Mmmm . . . Mmmm . . .

A few notes and tips about this recipe . . .

*only use homemade jam and jelly for this recipe . . .
I made it both ways . . . and it truly does make a difference!!!

**The tart shells can be made ahead of time . . .
but the tart is best when assembled at the last minute.
(if you make them ahead of time - be sure to crisp them up for a few minutes in a hot oven!)

*** I made this Gluten Free by using Williams Sonoma's "Cup - 4 - Cup" Flour . . .
and by excluding the Framboise as it is malt based.
(I do believe that a little fruit liqueur could be used in place of the Framboise . . .
one that is made without malt of course)

Hope you will try these sweet treats - I think you will love them!!

A Kiss from my kitchen to yours . . .

Peace and Love to all of you!!

xoxo – liz

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Here is the ingredient list . . .

The pate brisee crust . . .

2 cups all-purpose flour (or Williams Sonoma "Cup 4 Cup" flour)

1 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 extra large egg yolk

2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

The filling . . .

2-3 tablespoons homemade raspberry jam

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cups creme fraiche

2 tablespoons Framboise

The berries . . .

5 cups fresh raspberries

1 1/4 cups berry jelly

. . .

all photos / liz le dorze