Raspberry Tart for the End of Summer
Found raspberries at the farmers’ market yesterday, and of course I had to buy them. They won’t be around much longer. Then I went home and baked them into this simple tart.
I love this tart because it’s extremely fruit-forward, cradling the delicate flavor of the berries in a flaky crust and crumbled topping that is not too sweet. There’s nothing to get in the way of the pure, clean expression of the fruit.
As the tart bakes the aroma will fill your house with the scent of summer. What a lovely thing to experience as we head into fall.
Pastry
Whisk a bit of salt into a cup and a quarter of all-purpose flour. Cut a stick of cold sweet butter into cubes and, using a pastry cutter or two knives, incorporate the butter into the flour. Dribble in a couple tablespoons of ice water and some vodka and stir gently with a fork just until the dough holds together. Add more liquid as needed, gather it into a ball, then press it down into a disc, wrap in wax paper and put the dough into the refrigerator to rest for at least an hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface and fit into an 8 or 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or so.
Tart
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the tart shell from the freezer and fill it with raspberries; it should take about 3 6-ounce packages.
Melt a stick of butter and stir in 3/4 cups of sugar. Toss in a bit of salt and a few drops of vanilla, then stir in between 3/4 and a cup of flour, until it is quite thick. Crumble this over the top of the tart.
Set the tart on the lowest shelf of the oven, and bake for ten minutes before turning the heat down to 375 and baking for about 50 minutes more, or until the top is golden. Set on a rack to cool for about half an hour, then remove.
Allow the tart to cool completely before serving.