With its frangipane filling and short, buttery crust, this raspberry almond tart is inspired by those found in classic French patisserie. All of the elements are simple and achievable, but come together to create something altogether elegant and impressive.
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Trips to France mean just one thing–daily visits to the boulangerie. And while the presumed reason is to bring back the daily bread (erm, baguette), occasionally the patisserie case just calls my name too loudly. The little raspberry almond tarts, all simplicity and perfection, are one of the hardest to resist.
And while it’s been yeeeeeaaaars since I was in France, I still love those little tarts. So much, in fact, that I decided to make a large one. But these things are always better shared, so I hope you love it too.
Reasons to Love this Raspberry Almond Tart
- It’s a simple, achievable recipe that gives you impressive, professional results
- You can make all of the elements ahead of time for easy hosting and serving
- It’s versatile and can be served for any celebration or festive event
Other Pastry Recipes You May Enjoy
If pastry is your jam (no pun intended), you may also enjoy a blueberry panna cotta tart, or chocolate cherry tart. This Almond and fresh fruit tart is similar to this raspberry version!
What is in a Raspberry Almond Tart?
This tart is made up of a sweet crust, almond cream (also called frangipane) filling, then topped with fresh raspberries. The final step is thinning out a transluscent jelly ( like apple or apricot) and spreading it over the raspberries to give them a shiny finish. The last step is optional, but really adds a professional finish to the tart.
Equipment You’ll Need for this Tart
To make this tart, you’ll need just a couple of pieces of equipment. Here are links to a few of them:
- 9″ Tart Pan— This is one of my most used baking pans. The removable bottom is ideal for tarts, and the classic scallop edges are a nice added detail.
- A Rolling Pin— I like to use this French rolling pin, but you can use any style or kind you have on hand.
How to Make Raspberry Almond Tart
Making the Tart Crust
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt together. Cut the butter into cubes and add them, a few at a time, while the mixer is running. Allow it to continue until the mixture is like damp, slightly clumpy sand.
Add the cream slowly, just until the dough comes together. You don’t want it to be dry, but it should hold together easily with no bits of flour showing in the dough. Press it into a ball, then flatten it a bit onto a sheet of plastic wrap.
Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and let it chill thoroughly, for at least 3-4 hours, or up to two days.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a round 1/4″ thick. Carefully lift the dough into your tart pan and press it into the edges. Allow any extra dough to hang over the sides, and either run your rolling pin over the edges to remove it, or cut it off with a sharp knife. If any cracks are visible, press a bit of the excess dough into it with your fingers to fill it in. Put the crust back in the fridge for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 375F, then poke the crust 10-15 times with a fork. Line the crust with a sheet of parchment paper and fill it with baking weights, dry beans, sugar, or rice. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and lift the parchment paper with the weights from it.
Making the Almond Cream Layer (Frangipane)
In a mixing bowl, combine the cup of almond flour, 8 tablespoons of soft butter, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, cream them together until they are well mixed.
Add the 2 eggs, and almond and vanilla extracts. Stir them in until it’s all well blended and a smooth mixture.
Spread the almond cream in an even layer in the bottom of the tart crust. Bake it at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until the top is puffed and a light golden brown.
Allow the tart to cool completely before adding the raspberries.
Decorating the Tart with the Raspberries
This part can be a great way to get creative! I’ve opted to arrange the fresh raspberries in a very orderly way, covering the top of the tart completely. However, you can be more or less decorative, and could even scatter them over the top of the tart at random. You could even mix in other fruits/berries for accents.
Once you’ve finished arranging the fruit, you’ll melt some jelly to spread on top. This makes them shiny and beautiful. Use a soft-bristled pastry brush and a light touch. You don’t want to smash your berries, after all.
You can use any translucent jelly (not a jam–those are too thick) without a color that will detract from the raspberries. Think apricot or apple. I used a jar of strawberry jelly I made earlier this year, but you don’t need to go that crazy if you don’t have it on hand. Avoid things that will change the color of the raspberries, like purple grape jelly.
Serving the Raspberry Almond Tart
After adding the raspberries to the top of the tart, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Before serving it, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes so that the crust and filling can come to room temperature. If you serve it cold, the crust and frangipane layers will be a bit hard.
Raspberry tart stands on its own as a dessert, no accompaniment needed. But if you feel like it, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would not be remiss.
FAQs and Recipe Notes & Tips
Unfortunately, freezing changes the structure of raspberries, making them unsuitable for arranging once they’ve been frozen. However, if all you have is frozen raspberries, you can cook them down into a jam, then spread that over the baked frangipane.
To make the jam, place 2 cups of frozen raspberries in a saucepan along with 1/4 cup (50 grams) of sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir everything together until it’s all mixed well, then cook the mixture over medium-low heat. Continue to cook and stir for 5-8 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced to a smooth paste and is slightly thickened.
Allow the mixture to cool, then spread it in an even layer over the frangipane.
Once it has baked, the frangipane is safe to store at room temperature. In fact, it can soften the crust more quickly if it’s refrigerated. So if you plan to make the tart ahead of time, it can be safely stored at room temperature for 2-3 days if it’s wrapped or covered. Add the raspberries and glaze them with the jam just before serving, as they soften and mold very quickly.
Classic Raspberry Tart
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 9″ tart 1x
Description
With its frangipane filling and short, buttery crust, this raspberry tart is inspired by those found in classic French patisserie. All of the elements are simple and achievable, but come together to create something elegant and impressive.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (63 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 10 Tbsp. (143 g) butter, cool and not completely hard
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2–3 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Frangipane Filling:
- 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour
- 8 tablespoons (112 grams) salted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For the Topping:
- 2–3 cups fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup apple or apricot jelly
Instructions
For the Crust:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, cut into cubes, and continue to mix until the mixture is clumpy, like damp sand. If your butter is warm and oily, mix it very briefly or it will come together like a dough and be too soft.
Add the egg yolk, whipping cream, and vanilla. Stir just until the dough comes together into a thick dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten it into a disc. Refrigerate it for at least two hours, or until it’s chilled thoroughly. It can stay in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, tightly wrapped.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the
Making the Almond Filling
In a mixing bowl, combine the cup of almond flour, 8 tablespoons of soft butter, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, cream them together until they are well mixed.
Add the 2 eggs, and almond and vanilla extracts. Stir them in until it’s all well blended and a smooth mixture.
Spread the almond cream in and even layer in the bottom of the tart crust. Bake it at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until the top is puffed and a light golden brown.
Allow the tart to cool completely before adding the raspberries.
Topping the Tart
Arrange the fresh raspberries over the top of the baked tart. You can also add other fruits, like sliced peaches or other berries.
Add a tablespoon of water to a quarter cup of any clear jelly (apple or apricot work really well) and mix it until you have a pourable but viscous mixture. Brush it over the tops of the raspberries. Chill the tart until you’re ready to serve it.
Allow the tart to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to let it come to room temperature before slicing and serving it.
Notes
- For the almond cream, if you only have unsalted butter on hand, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
