This tart is the result of a baking afternoon with girlfriends (we’d also made the mango and passion fruit tart). We worked rather well that day and we had a feast! For inspiration, I simply used one of my latest baking books, “Tartes gourmandissimes” by Eric Kayser.
This tart is very easy to make: a tart base, a fromage blanc cream and a red berry coulis. The tartness of the red berries is balanced by the softness of the fromage blanc — the balance is pretty good. I’m not a big fan of red berries (and raspberries in particular), so I liked it a little less than the other tart made that day. But it went down very well!
Ingredients & Method
4 components · Full recipe
Red Berry Coulis
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) raspberry purée
- 60 g (2.1 oz) caster sugar
- 300 g (10.6 oz) mixed red berries (frozen)
- 3 gelatine leaves
Method
1
Soak the gelatine leaves in very cold water.
2
In a saucepan, bring 4 tablespoons of water and the sugar to the boil.
3
Remove from the heat, add the drained gelatine and the raspberry purée.
4
Wrap cling film tightly around the bottom of the pastry ring to create a base, then flip it over and pour in the coulis.
5
Scatter the mixed red berries on top and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Almond Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
- 110 g (3.9 oz) softened butter
- 50 g (1.8 oz) icing sugar
- 25 g (0.9 oz) caster sugar
- 25 g (0.9 oz) ground almonds
- 1 egg
- 185 g (6.5 oz) flour
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
Method
1
A few tips for lining a tart ring: bring the pastry inside the ring and use your index finger to create a right angle all the way round. Form a slight overhang on the inside, roll the rolling pin over the top to remove the excess, then pinch the pastry to create a neat raised edge (see video for guidance).
2
Place a sheet of baking paper over the pastry base and fill with ceramic baking beans or dried pulses. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
3
Once the pastry base is baked and cooled, use a Microplane grater to smooth out any imperfections.
4
Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix in both sugars, the ground almonds and the salt. Add the egg, then the sifted flour, and knead briefly until the dough comes together into a ball.
5
Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
6
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F.
7
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2–3 mm. Lightly prick the surface with a fork and cut out a circle slightly larger than your tart ring.
Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 120 g (4.2 oz) fromage blanc
- 25 g (0.9 oz) icing sugar
- 2 gelatine leaves
- 2 tablespoons kirsch (optional)
- 120 g (4.2 oz) heavy cream
Method
1
Soak the gelatine leaves in very cold water.
2
Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and set aside in the fridge.
3
In a bowl, mix the fromage blanc with the icing sugar.
4
In a small saucepan, gently heat the kirsch. Allow to cool slightly, then add the drained gelatine and stir until dissolved. (If you prefer not to use kirsch, you can melt the gelatine in a tablespoon of water — it’s very quick!)
5
Allow to cool slightly, then fold the mixture into the fromage blanc.
6
Add the whipped cream and fold in gently with a spatula.
7
Spread the cream over the pastry base and refrigerate until set.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Take the tart case out of the fridge.
2
Remove the coulis disc from the freezer, unmould it and carefully place the red berry disc on top of the cream.
3
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the berries have fully thawed.
Gallery
