Raspberry-Lemon Shortbread Tart

This is an easy and delicious tart that's perfect for summer.

A simple shortbread crust is pressed into a cake pan and pre-baked. The cookie-like crust is then filled with berries and covered with a lemon cream. After another trip to the oven,the berries and cream set-up and you have a delectable tart bursting with summer flavors.

Below is the pre-baked crust filled with frozen berries. I used a berry medley for this one because that's what I had on hand. Fresh or frozen fruit would work and any type of berry would be scrumptious.

The combination of black raspberries and blackberries gave the tart a gorgeous deep purple color once cooked. I topped it with powder sugar...
And it was pretty darn tasty. Here's a piece topped with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream :)

My only change to the recipe would be to use a little less lemon juice, so it's not so tart. I think juice from 1 1/2 lemons would give it the right amount of zip (or maybe just 1 lemon). That extra amount of juice put it over the top. But if you like tart lemony desserts, keep it the same.


Update: My mom made this tart and used frozen berries and she said it put her bake time at about 40 minutes over the listed time! I baked mine at sea level in San Diego and she baked hers at high altitude. Maybe that's the reason?? So make sure to thaw and drain your berries well!


Raspberry-Lemon Shortbread Tart
Source: RachealRay
3 cups frozen raspberries (1 pound)
1 stick plus 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
11/4 cups granulated sugar
13/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup juice)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Drain the raspberries in a strainer set over a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using your fingers, combine the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1 1/2 cups of the flour and blend together until coarse crumbs form.* Pour the mixture into an ungreased nonstick 9-inch springform or cake pan and press down evenly to form a crust. Bake the shortbread crust until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.

Remove the shortbread from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°. Scatter the drained raspberries** evenly over the baked shortbread.

Beat the eggs with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Pour the lemon cream over the raspberries and bake the tart until the custard is set, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

* The crust mixture is quite crumbly, but bakes up well. So, don't worry as you're pressing it into the pan.

** I filled my hot crust with frozen berries. I didn't wait for the berries to thaw and drain. The only problem this caused was that it needed extra time to bake. It also changed the consistency into a berry filling as opposed to a drier, cakier filling. So, if you want it cakier, make sure you drain your berries well.

Peach Custard Tart

Sorry I've been so absent! I'm in the middle of a big move. The family and I are relocating to Dayton, Ohio! Crazy, fun, whirlwind times right now. I'll be continuing this blog from a new kitchen in Dayton by the end of this month! Very exciting.

This tart just looked and sounded yummy. It originally called for plums, but I had peaches on hand and the combination of peaches and custard won me over.

The crust turned out nice and flaky and the custard filling was light and subtle letting the flavor of the peaches shine through.

The part of this tart I was  most excited about was the custard, but I was only able to pour in about half the custard mixture before it was full to the edges. A little disappointing. Maybe it was the pan size I used??

Overall this was a very yummy tart. Simple and satisfying. I added a pinch of nutmeg and scoop of vanilla ice cream to finish it off and that was perfect! I would suggest adding a little nutmeg on top before serving just to kick up the flavor. 

This tart was better the next day when all the flavors had time to meld. The crust stayed flaky and it was delicious for breakfast along side a hot cup of coffee!

Plum Tart

Crust

1 2/3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons sour cream

Custard

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

7 large plums, thinly sliced (about 6 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375

To prepare the crust, pulse flour, salt and butter in a food processor until crumbly. Add sour cream. Process until if forms a ball. Press the dough  into 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 350

To prepare the custard, mix sugar, flour and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs and sour cream. Add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture and blend well.

Arrange sliced plums in concentric circles on the baked crust. Gently pour the custard over the plums.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the custard is set and golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Set the tart on a glass plate and gently remove the pan ring. Makes 8-12 servings.

* My Notes:

I added a splash of vanilla to the crust and custard mixture. I also added a small pinch of cinnamon to the crust. I substituted peaches for plums. 

I found it took a lot longer to bake then the 50 minutes, so watch and check the tart accordingly. You could also use greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you have that on hand. 

Strawberry Brown Sugar Tart

 Wow. Just Wow. This fresh strawberry tart is absolutely delicious!

 Look at all those shiny sweet strawberries.

 Lets not waste time. I just had to cut this bad boy up and dig in.

The crust on this tart is like a big yummy cookie. Slightly crisp and melt-in-your-mouth good. The filling is creamy and perfectly sweet and just heavenly with the layers of strawberries.

This is just a damn good tart. 'Nough said.

Strawberry Brown Sugar Tart

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1/2 cup crème fraîche

1/2 cup whipping cream

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, whirl flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, the cornstarch, and salt until combined. Add butter and 1/2 tsp. vanilla and pulse until fine crumbs form and dough just begins to come together. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-in. round tart pan with a removable rim.

2. Bake until edges are golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on a rack, then gently push tart crust from pan rim; set on a plate.

3. In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat crème fraîche, cream, remaining 2 tbsp. sugar, and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla until thick. Spread in cooled crust. Arrange strawberries in circles on top, alternating cut sides down and up.

Make ahead: Chill, loosely covered, up to 4 hours.

I used the recipe below for the filling instead of the one called for in the recipe. I didn't have crème fraîche. Both are delicious, so use whichever one sounds best.

My Cream Filling (So Good!)

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temp.

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond and coconut extract (opt.)

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream*

Directions

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and extracts. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

* I used stabilized whipping cream for a thicker filling. I found this at a baking supple store.

Fresh Fruit Tart

As far as tarts go, this one is a whiz to put together and delicious too. A simple shortbread crust is filled with a yummy cream cheese mixture and topped with slices of fresh fruit. 

Confectioners' sugar, butter and flour are pulsed together until moistened then pressed into a fluted tart pan. I added vanilla and cinnamon to mine to give it a little kick, but it's tasty either way. The cream cheese filling comes together quickly in a mixture and is slightly tangy and pairs well with the cookie crust and fruit. 

You can use any fruit you like or whatever is in season. Once you have your fruit assembled on the custard, brush it with a glaze and you've got a gorgeous and delicious dessert.

Slice - Serve - Enjoy

Fresh Fruit Tart

Crust:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar*
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

pinch of salt

Topping:
Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, grapes...

Glaze:
Honey

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, butter, vanilla and cinnamon and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, almond extract and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. 

Cut desired fruit into slices and arrange in a circle pattern on custard.

For the glaze: Heat honey in a small bowl in the microwave until runny. Cool slightly.  Brush over fruit.

Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. 

* I used a tablespoon of brown sugar in both the crust and cream cheese filling in place of part of the sugar called for. I thought it gave the crust a nice flavor and also worked well in the filling. 

* A very small pinch of cinnamon lent a warm note to the crust and I thought it was really tasty. 

Brown Sugar Strawberry Tart

I came across this tasty photo and easy recipe on sunset.com and just had to share it!  Click Here for the recipe.

With strawberries coming into season, this is the perfect fruity/summer-ish dessert to make! And what's not to like about a brown sugar crust and an easy creamy vanilla filling?! Yum

Lemon Cream Tart

My dad had a minor procedure done on Friday, so I thought I would make him a yummy dessert. He likes anything lemon flavored, so I started with that. I settled on this creamy, lemon tart with a vanilla shortbread crust.

Flakes of lemon zest speckle the cream filling.

I topped the tart with fresh blueberries for color. Plus, blueberries just pair well with lemon.

Let's cut a slice.

This tart was really light and creamy. It was the perfect balance of lemon and sweet. This definitely doesn't have a lip-puckering tart flavor, so if that's your thing, add more lemon juice. The berries on top were a nice addition. My dad suggested slices of strawberries and kiwis which would be really delicious with the lemon cream. This dessert did the trick, he felt much better after having a slice.
Ingrdients:

1 (9 1/2) tart round, fully baked
4 large eggs

4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, strained (I used just slightly less than a 1/2 cup)

Pinch of salt

Opt.

Sweetened whipped cream

Berries

Prepare and fully bake a 9 1/2 inch tart round. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the egg yolks and lemon zest until mixed, about 1 minute. Add the condensed milk, lemon juice and salt, beating well after each addition. Pout into the fully baked tart shell.

Bake the tart until the filling is firm in the center, 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely until set, 1-2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if using.

*Top with fruit just before serving, if desired.

Vanilla Custard Tart with Coconut Macaroon Crust

I've been thinking up this creation for a quite awhile. A couple years ago I made a mango tart with a coconut crust and the crust was so different and delicious, I always remembered it. Then I made a silky vanilla custard for a banana cream pie and the vanilla custard was so good on it's own, you could just eat it with a spoon. So, I wanted to combined all these amazing flavors and create a delicious custard tart.

The crust uses soft coconut macaroon cookies, pecans and butter. I chose to make my own coconut macaroons (recipe below). On top of the crust, I layered rich vanilla custard and fresh, slightly sweetened whipped cream. And to crown off the delicious filling, fresh slices of fruit!

Homemade Macaroons

The recipe below makes around 20 cookies, so you'll have plenty for the crust and some to snack on. All the cookies I had were gobbled up fast. This is a great recipe if you ever want to make plain macaroons. Yum!

Once the macaroons are baked and cooled they get shredded and mixed with chopped toasted pecans and some butter.

The crust going into the oven. I broke up the pecan pieces with my fingers, so I had big chunks in my crust. I was just too lazy to pull out the food processor.

Mmmm. The golden crust, baked and filled.

A mix of fresh cut fruit, strawberries, kiwi's, pears, nectarines, raspberries, boysenberries etc., are all tasty additions. Sliced banana's turns this into a yummy banana cream tart.

This tart is tasty unadorned too with just the simple custard and whipped cream.




Vanilla Custard Tart with Coconut Macaroon Crust

Coconut Macaroon Crust
9 soft macaroon cookies, crumbled (2 cups)
1 cup ground pecans
3 T butter, softened

Mix all ingredients together. Press mixture into a 10 to 11-in fluted tart pan.
Bake at 350 until golden brown 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack

Coconut Macaroon Cookies
Ingredients
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve

* Make sure you use a removable bottom tart pan. This crust can be sticky. Try lining the pan with buttered parchment paper and don;t pat it down too firmly.

Vanilla Custard
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch (4 or 5 T)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Make the custard: In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. In a medium saucepan, bring milk just to a boil. Remove from heat, and whisk about 1/2 cup of hot milk into yolk mixture. Whisk yolk mixture into saucepan of hot milk. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until melted. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Immediately strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Place bowl of custard in ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally.

Whipped cream topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbs. powdered sugar, sifted

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until combine. Chill until ready to use.

Assemble Tart
Pour chilled vanilla custard into cooled coconut crust. Carefully spread whipped cream over custard. Chill until ready to serve. Top with favorite fruit, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, pear, mango, kiwi, just before serving. Sprinkle with powdered, if desired.

Mini Berry Fruit Tarts

While browsing the web, I saw a recipe for a creamy, lemon tart and I just happen to have lemons, so I gave it a try. The filling however, didn't turn out. The filling called for more than 2 1/2 sticks of butter to make it silky but, it also called for a 4 hour chilling time. My filling set up thick and solid like a stick of butter so, I decided to toss it and make individual berry fruit tarts using a package of frozen mixed berries I had. They definitely made up for the failed lemon cream.

Mixed berry filling scented with almond extract gets dotted with cold butter before heading into the oven

20 minutes later, hot and bubbly berry tarts are ready to be topped with a dollop of whipped cream and eaten.

Makes 5 to 6 mini tarts
Preheat 375'

For the filling:
2 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 1/2 Tbs. instant tapioca
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp almond extract (or vanilla or both)

Toss berries with sugar, tapioca and extract. Let sit 15 minutes.

For the crust:
Any 9 in. tart or pie dough will work.

Press dough into individual tart molds. Fill with berry mixture. Dot each tart with a few cold, pea-size, pieces of butter. Place tarts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly browned around edges; 18 to 25 minutes.

Top with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

*If you make your crust from scratch, try adding a tsp. of orange zest for extra flavor.