Ina Garten’s raspberry tart skips rolling entirely, because the shortbread dough gets pressed right into the pan. With only 7 ingredients, this easy dessert is ready for a dinner party. Preserves underneath hold the fresh berries to the buttery crust.
Mix the butter and sugar until just combined, because overworking shortbread dough turns it tough instead of crumbly. Keep the baked shell at room temperature, never in the fridge, or it goes soggy.
Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)
Ina Garten Raspberry Tart
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy10
servings15
minutes45
minutes340
kcalCrumbly golden shortbread shell, blind baked with pie weights, spread with raspberry preserves and covered in fresh raspberries placed stem end down.
Ingredients
- Tart Shell:
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
- Filling:
1 cup good raspberry preserves
1 1/2 pints fresh raspberries (3 packages)
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
- Shape the crust: Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
- Blind bake: Butter one side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Fill and serve: Spread the tart with raspberry preserves and place the raspberries, stem end down, in concentric circles. If you are making a square tart, place the raspberries in rows. Serve immediately.
FAQs
Can I make the tart shell ahead of time?
You can bake the shell up to a day before you need it. Keep it at room temperature, loosely covered with a kitchen towel. The assembled tart holds for a few hours before serving, so it works well when you need to prep ahead for a dinner.
How should I store leftover raspberry tart?
This tart is best eaten the day you make it, since fresh raspberries soften quickly. If you have leftovers, cover loosely and keep at room temperature for up to 6 hours. Never put it in the fridge, because cold makes the shortbread crust lose its crumbly texture.
Can I use other berries instead of raspberries?
Blackberries, blueberries, or sliced strawberries all work on this shortbread base. Match the preserves to the berry you pick, so strawberry preserves under sliced strawberries, for example. Stick with fresh berries here, since frozen ones release too much water and make the crust soggy.
Do I need a tart pan with a removable bottom?
A false-bottom pan makes it easy to pop the tart out in one piece. If you only have a regular pie dish, the crust will still taste right, but getting clean slices out is harder. Line the dish with parchment if that is your only option.
What is the most common mistake with this recipe?
Overworking the dough is the big one. Once the flour hits the butter mixture, mix just until it barely comes together. Going past that point turns the crust dense and hard instead of sandy and crumbly.
