Lemon Raspberry Tart by Sylvie from Gourmande In the Kitchen

If you know me a little then you know how important photography is to me. It has exposed a whole new aspect of life to me and has also made me learn a thing or two about myself. And it has helped me know a few very talented people as well. One such person is Sylvie. I met Sylvie a while back through flickr. She liked one of my photos and wrote me an email telling me that. Her sweetness and kindness reflected straight through that email and I immediately wrote back to her after looking at her breathtaking photography. One email led to another and the next thing we know, we were friends. Sylvie then told me how she was planning to start her own food blog and I was so confident that she and her blog would be a big hit. Now I can brag by saying that, “Sylvie, I told you so!” She is not only a great photographer but a very engaging writer who can take you to a different world with her stories. No wonder she now has a very successful blog Gourmande In the Kitchen. So when I was thinking of some great people to take my place while I am gone, she had to be one of them. Please welcome Sylvie who is here with a lovely post and recipe!

Thank you Prerna for inviting me to share my recipe with your readers, I am very happy to be here.

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Inspired by the countless hours I’ve spent eyeing the gorgeous displays in patisserie windows, I wanted to share my Lemon Raspberry Tart with White Chocolate Drizzle.
When I first walked into the pastry shop, I didn’t know where to focus my attention.  What had lured me in were the colorful rows of delicate macarons displayed in the shop window.  Once inside my eyes darted frantically around the room landing first on the rows of individual chocolates.   Countless varieties of creamy ganache-filled squares sat just out of reach behind the glass case.  Across from those were the boxed gifts stuffed with tuiles and buttery miniature cookies.  Just down from the chocolates were the pastries.  Oh, the pastries!  A case full of exquisitely crafted pieces entranced me, and the above was quickly overlooked.

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Insatiable.  That’s the appropriate word for my appetite when it comes to dessert.  My face lit up, and the wheels started turning in my head. “They all look so amazing. Should I get one?  Which one should I try?”  Oh the agony of choosing!  I quickly reminded myself that it is very possible to overlook gems if your focus is always on the most ornate offerings, so I composed myself and refocused.  Elegant yet understated, it was the simple aesthetic of the lemon tart that caught my attention.  But the minimal and straight lemon tart exudes simplicity in its content as well as its form.

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While it sounds rather ordinary, a good lemon tart is a brilliant juxtaposition of intensity and delicateness.  The pastry crust is sandy and light in texture, yet rich with butter flavor.  The bright tartness of the citrus filling is tamed ever so slightly by just the right amount sugar.  The creaminess of the sweet-sour filling contrasts in turn with the crumbliness of the cookie-like crust.  Bold and boisterous when it first hits the tongue, the gooey bed of lemon quickly melts and melds with the crunchy bits of crust, the two smoothly rolling around the mouth.

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You don’t need any advanced pastry skills to make my version however.  The food processor does all the mixing for the pâte sable.  No rolling is required either; you just press the dough into the tart pan. The tart shell is blind baked, then filled with a mixture of eggs, sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream. Quickly whisked together and briefly baked, it requires only the slightest attention.  The tart is finished with a thin layer of raspberry jam and a drizzle of white chocolate for a big impact with little effort.
Oh, and that lemon tart I was eyeing… I got it; that, and a few more pastries.

Lemon Raspberry Tart with White Chocolate Drizzle
Serves 8 to 10

For the Crust
1 1/4 cups (166g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (50g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (114g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Lemon Filling
3 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (75 ml) strained fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoon (100 ml) heavy cream
For the Finish
1 cup (320g) good quality raspberry jam
4 oz good quality white chocolate, finely chopped

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Make the crust:
1. Place the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a food processor and process to combine. Add the butter pieces and process briefly to blend, until the mixture resembles bread crumbs (about 10 seconds). Mix the egg and vanilla together in a small bowl just to combine. With the motor running add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then pulse in 1 second intervals until the mixture starts to come together (do not overmix).
2. Turn out the dough onto the bottom of a greased 9 inch false-bottomed fluted tart pan and press the mixture into the pan firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the entire pan bottom and up the sides. Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm.  (The crust can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge or freezer until needed)
3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375° F (190° C) Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.  Line the dough with parchment and evenly fill with pie weights (or you can use dried beans).  Bake the crust for about 20 minutes, or until the edge of the crust is golden. Remove parchment and weights from crust, and continue baking until the entire crust is a light golden color, about 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. Leave the oven on.

Make the filling:
1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs lightly to just combine them. Add the sugar and lemon juice and mix just until blended. Stir in the cream slowly just until blended.

Bake the tart:
1.Pour the filling into the partially baked tart shell. Return to 375°F (190°C) oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the filling appears set, and only the center quivers a little.
2. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool on the pan for about 20 minutes.
3. Refrigerate the tart just long enough to chill, about 30 minutes.

Finish the tart:
1. Heat the raspberry jam until just warm to make it easier to spread. Spread evenly over the cool tart with an off-set spatula.  Place the tart back in the fridge to firm up while you melt the chocolate.
2. Slowly melt the white chocolate in double boiler or alternatively, place in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more or until the chocolate is softened, stir until smooth.
3. Drizzle tart with melted chocolate, using a small spoon, or alternatively put in a squeeze bottle and squeeze across the top of the tart in a zig-zag pattern.  Return the tart to fridge to allow chocolate to set for another 20 minutes or longer.
4. Slide the rim of the tart pan down so that the bottom of the pan is released as the metal rim slips down.  Cut the tart into wedges with a sharp knife.

42 Comments

  1. Hello Nisha,
    We love your recipes, especially when its on Raspberry tart.
    These are so delicious.
    I have always looked at your blog for the various pictures and the way you write.Just Love it!
    You have shared some nice information about Lemon Raspberry tart in this post.
    The points you mentioned are genuine and perfect.
    The content completely describes about the topic you wanted to portray with us.
    Thanks for sharing such valuable post.

    Regards
    VentairIndia Team

  2. Made this recipe for my husband and he thought it was absolutely delicious. It is quick and easy! The most time consuming portions of the prep was the cooling periods.

    Thank you for sharing your recipe, it is excellent!

  3. big gulp.. we just chatted about aloo subzi on twitter and i see this… me me, i want… this looks gorgeous!! and your pictures are absolutely stunning! 🙂 *drooool*

  4. Beautiful blog Prerna! I’m glad you encouraged Sylvie to start her blog as it’s one of my favorites. Sylvie – love everything about this lemon raspberry tart…I need to make this asap.

  5. lemon + raspberry + white chocolate! That’s a delicious combo! Thanks for introducing Sylvie’s site to us.

    Looking forward to hear more about your trip and of course lovely recipes from home.

    Reese
    SeasonwithSpice.com

  6. What a lovely post.. I loved reading your thoughts.. Your blog is gorgeous!! and the images even more inspiring.. Inspiring enough to make me want to try something.. I am a total disaster in the kitchen and truly have a lot to learn from you girl!!

    I totally love the header.. the image.. and the name of your blog.. so super cute!! 🙂 Im following you on FB now.. and will be here to be inspired ever so often.. Hope you’ll come say hello to me at Colours Dekor.. as well… 🙂

    Happy blogging.. You rock!! 🙂

  7. The tart is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing with us, Sylvie! I might have to try this dessert out on some girlfriends Friday night. I’m still debating what treats to prepare, and now I know I’m going to be obsessing about this one. =)

  8. Okay this sounds repetitive but its true my favorite girls in one place. Love it. This tart looks gorgeous and I’m a weakness for citrus desserts so this is right up my alley. Love the crust – its looks so PERFECT. Mine never looks so good! Thank you ladies.

  9. I was reading Sylvie’s experience and nodding and smiling after each word.Each one of us feels this overwhelm looking at desserts
    .A beautiful post.I love the first picture a lot.Everything about the recipe sounds awesome.Lemon, raspberries & white chocolate..am drooling! Thanks both of you for sharing.

  10. Reading your thoughts on how you feel when entering a pastry shop felt like I was talking to myself; I get just as excited and always find it hard to choose just one thing (which is why I end up with a boxful of goodies!)

    Your photographs are out of this world. I love that rather than worrying too much about food styling, you’ve captured the dessert as it would look while eating.

  11. Sylvie’s work and her blog are SO beautiful! These photographs are stunning, as usual. And adding raspberry and a white chocolate drizzle to a lemon tart is brilliant…

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