Raspberry Tartlets

These are French pâtisserie-style Raspberry Tartlets – Tartelettes aux Framboises – filled with almond cream (frangipane) and studded with bright red raspberries. The crispy buttery crust, beautiful almond filling and tart raspberries is a classic combination that will never go out of style.

Raspberry Tartlets

If you’ve ever wandered into a French pâtisserie here in Australia, chances are you’ve spotted neat rows of beautiful raspberry tartlets in the display cabinet. We call them Tartelettes aux Framboises, and they are very popular. I completely understand why – with crisp buttery pastry, rich almond cream and bright, juicy raspberries, they are simply irresistible.

Interestingly though, they are not nearly as common in France. For us French, this is really a raspberry version of one of our great pâtisserie classics, Tarte Bourdaloue (Pear Tart, made here with pistachio). Made with poached pears nestled into almond cream (frangipane), it is a tart you will find in bakeries all across France, all year round. It is also one of the very first proper tarts every young French chef – myself included! – learns to make at cooking school.

Frangipane / almond cream filling

The filling of this tartlet is crème d’amandes, also known as frangipane or almond cream, a simple mixture of equal amounts of butter, sugar, eggs and almond meal. It’s used in many classic French desserts, including Tarte Bourdaloue and Galette des Rois, one of the most famous and beloved cakes for French people.

In French pâtisserie, it is called a “tant pour tant” recipe, literally “equal parts”. It bakes into a damp, cake-like filling with a wonderfully rich almond flavour that pairs beautifully with tart raspberries.

For this recipe, I chose to make individual tartlets rather than one large tart because they’re elegant to serve and perfect for entertaining. Even better, most of the work can be done in advance. The tart shells can be baked a day or two ahead, the almond cream can be made and refrigerated, and the raspberries prepared just before assembling. When it’s time to bake, all that’s left to do is fill the tartlets and pop them in the oven!

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Ingredients

Here is what you need to make the almond cream filling for these Raspberry Tartlets. See the separate recipe for the tartlet crust recipe here – Nagi wrote a separate recipe today so this post wouldn’t turn into a War and Peace novel.

for the frangipane / almond cream filling

• Raspberries – Fresh raspberries work best here. Their tartness balances the rich almond cream beautifully. Choose firm, plump berries if possible. Different berries can be used, like blueberries and strawberries. I don’t recommend using frozen raspberries. For more information, see the FAQ.

• Unsalted butter – Make sure it’s properly softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar.

• Caster sugar / superfine sugar – Dissolves more easily than regular sugar, giving the almond cream a smooth texture. But it is ok to use regular / granulated sugar.

• Eggs – Use large eggs (50 – 55g / 2 oz each, shell-on weight) at room temperature so they incorporate more easily into the butter mixture.

• Almond meal / ground almonds – Finely ground blanched almonds are the key ingredient in almond cream, giving it its signature nutty flavour. Don’t confuse this with almond flour which is finer – too fine for almond cream.

glaze and pistachio sprinkle

French pastries with fruit are often brushed with a glaze to give it a lovely glossy finish. This is easy to do at home simply with warmed apricot jam loosened with a little water. And I’ve decorated the rim of the tartlets with finely chopped pistachios which gives it a bit of colour.

Both are entirely optional, but I think they give the tartlets that little extra pâtisserie finish.

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How To Make Raspberry Tartlets

1. TARTLET CRUST

You’ll find the recipe for the tartlet crust recipe here, Nagi posted it today to accompany this recipe. We’ve published it separately because it’s one of those master recipes every home baker should have in their repertoire. The buttery, crisp pastry works beautifully for all kinds of sweet tarts, and the post includes the usual step-by-step photos and a short recipe video to guide you through it.

2. Almond cream (frangipane)

Here is how to make the almond cream. It’s fast to make with an electric beater but if you don’t have one, just use a wooden spoon and make sure the butter is well softened so it’s easy to cream by hand.

1. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl using an electric beater on low speed. Creaming simply means beating the butter and sugar together until the butter has a smooth, creamy consistency.

2. Add the almond meal and mix just until incorporated.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated before adding the next. Adding the eggs gradually helps the mixture stay smooth and prevents it from splitting.

4. Almond cream should be creamy, with a thick, spreadable consistency. It will be a little lumpy and might even look curdled to you, but that’s the way it should be.

   It can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to use.

3. assembling and baking

Here is how to put the tartlets together.

1. Prepare the raspberries – Set aside 18 whole raspberries (3 for each tart) and cut all of the remaining raspberries in half. Two-thirds of the halved raspberries will be used inside the tart and the remainder for decorating the tops. I use a combination of whole and halved raspberries for the surface because if you only use whole raspberries, you can only fit four on top because of the raspberries underneath, which looks a little underwhelming.

2. Raspberries inside – Use two thirds of the halved raspberries and place them on the base of each tart shell. They create a fruity layer underneath the almond cream so you are sure to eat raspberries at every bite!

3. Divide the almond cream evenly between the tart shells, spooning it over the raspberries. Gently spread it into an even layer using the back of a small spoon, trying not to disturb too much the raspberries underneath.

4. Top each tartlet with 3 whole raspberries, then arrange the remaining halved raspberries around them, cut face down. Gently press them into the almond cream so they’re just slightly embedded.

5. Bake for 30 minutes at 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan), until the almond cream is puffed, lightly golden and just set in the centre.

6. Remove the tartlets from the oven and leave them to cool completely in the tart tins. As they cool, the almond cream will finish setting, making the tartlets easier to glaze and serve.

Brush the tops with the apricot jam glaze to give them a beautiful glossy finish. Sprinkle chopped pistachios around the rim, then serve and enjoy!

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How To Serve Raspberry Tartlets

These Raspberry Tartlets are perfect for any occasion. They’re elegant enough to finish a dinner party, but they’re just as lovely with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon.

They are usually enjoyed at room temperature, and while they can be eaten with your hands – like when you buy them from the bakery (!) – they also plate up beautifully for an elegant dessert with a dollop of crème fraîche and a few extra fresh raspberries on the side.

If really you can’t wait, serve them slightly warm, with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream slowly melting into the almond filling!

However you serve them, I hope you enjoy this little taste of classic French pâtisserie. Bon appétit! – JB

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Watch How To Make It

Life Of Jaffle

Another episode of Jaffle in the shoot room with me 🐾

Jaffle is still very much in training, but no one here would dare to question his enthusiasm. He puts his whole heart into every shoot, determined to become the best little recipe assistant he can be.

This time, he couldn’t resist standing up and resting his paws on the shooting table to check how filming was going. Probably making sure I was getting the right angle, right Jaffle? 😆