Buttery crust, creamy filling, berry goodness.
Picture Perfect Summer Dessert
Some of my favorite desserts are the least fussy. Who would argue that a bowl of berries and cream is not the perfect topper for a perfect summer day? (No one in this house, anyway.) Now if I want to ratchet up the featured berries, to gob-smacking awesome, I simply add pastry to the mix.
Last February, while enjoying a ridiculously enjoyable day in a Darigold demonstration kitchen, I received a folder of recipes from pastry chef Pierre Fauvet. As I spied the first recipe, fresh raspberry tart, the clouds parted, angels sang, rainbows appeared, and winged unicorns performed a fly-by. (Hyperbole? I think not.) Plump, huge, ruby red, perfumed and delicious, Raspberries are the jewels in the fruit crown of what I grow. I will showcase them in any way worthy of their hold on me.
Pierre’s recipe called for pastry cream, but I was impatient yesterday, so I opted for a simpler option found in Darigold’s FRESH magazine, one with a sour cream, cream cheese, orange infused layer. It’s called a Sour Cream Raspberry Tart. The buttery pate sucree shell is all chef Fauvet’s, and one that pairs perfectly with this berry dairy dessert.
Pate Sucree is very forgiving, like a cookie dough Play-Doh.
Pate Sucree | Tart Dough
Print recipe
| Serves | 8-1772 |
| Meal type | Dessert |
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks unsalted @ room temperature)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
Note
This pate sucree recipe is from pastry chef Pierre Fauvet, who shared it during his presentation at the Darigold demo kitchen in Seattle, WA.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Cream together in electric mixer, butter, sugars, and salt (2-3 minutes on medium speed) | |
| Step 2 | |
| Add flour, beat on low speed for 30 seconds, mixture will look like wet sand. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add egg yolks, and mix on low until dough comes together. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Cut in half and form into two disks of dough, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Remove disk, let it stand for 30 minutes and then roll out a 12'' circle to about 1/4" thick. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Press dough into a 10" tart pan and up the sides. Patch holes and cracks with excess dough. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Prick dough in 4-5 spots on the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. | |
| Step 8 | |
| Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 -25 minutes until light golden brown. Cool to room temperature | |
My kind of assembly line: shortbread crust, sour cream filling and freshly picked raspberries
Sour Cream Raspberry Tart
Ingredients
- 1 Pate Sucree Tart Shell
- 8 Ounces cream cheese (softened, room temperature)
- 1 Cup sour cream (room temperature)
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1 Teaspoon orange zest
- 2 Cups Raspberries (or berries or fruit of your choice)
Note
Adapted from recipe found in Darigold's FRESH magazine.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Add all sour cream but only one spoonful at a time to prevent lumps and fully incorporate. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add sugar and orange zest. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Place in air tight container and refrigerate for one hour. | |
| Step 5 | |
| When ready to serve tart, spread sour cream filling over shortbread crust. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Artfully arrange berries on top of sour cream filling. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Optional: Heat a couple tablespoons of jelly or seedless jam to brush on berries for a dressed-up presentation. It looks nice If serving the tart over several days, I'd avoid this step as it softens the berries and crust. | |
Sis and Mom, berry pickers extraordinaire, adorned the tart with raspberries. I might have been wearing the pie had I taken their pictures after a day of working around the homestead. I told them they always look beautiful; but they begged to differ.
Mom puts the finishing touch on the sour cream raspberry tart while I grab some plates, forks and knifes. (Nice work ladies!)
So delicious no matter how you slice it (in my humble opinion).
Mom and Sis, my pretty, albeit shy berry pickers, concur — thumbs-up delicious!
Hi Tom,
Just wanted to let you know that Jude is telling all of our friends and relatives about your tea-towel peach ripening secret. Works so perfectly well. So nice to bite into a peach and have it so perfect all the way through! Thanks.
Thanks Dana, does my heart good to know the ripe peach technique is bringing juicy smiles to you and yours. Thanks again! Tom
OMG!!! YUM YUM YUM!!! THANKS for Sharing!!!
Any time Janet, and just wait until peach season! 😉
I love raspberries in a white wine…white sangria is a summertime fav here. Have you tried peaches in Beaujolais wine?
Janet, I love Sangria, white and red, but have not tried peaches in Beaujolais. I fear if I did on this summer day, I’d never leave the porch or hammock. hmmm, now there’s an idea…
Hello Tom,
I have not made your raspberry tart…yet. But I must say what is really gob-smacking awesome is your second paragraph. Really..I heard the flutes, harps and whatever other instruments accompany winged unicorns. Another lovely post laced with humor and relevant photos…..including the how to do this information.
I work at a senior resource center…so I must add that your last post was touching regarding having respect for our elders. Actually, they say boomers prefer the term “older adults.” I am one and as long as it is nice I am not sure I care what I am called. The artwork and message was important as I do hope I am a bit more wise than I was a few decades ago!
Still enjoying your Tall Clover Farm insights…..
Nancy
Thank you so much Nancy for your thoughtful comment; it made my evening. My Mom is visiting and my sister and I have decided we’re the seniors and she’s the young’un. Take care and again, thank you checking in and sharing such kind words. Tom
Beautiful! And the filling would be wonderful with blueberries, too ;-P I think I need to make a tart!
Eileen, you are my tart mentor, so hopefully this is worthy of your kitchen. Give it a try and let me know. And as I mentioned to Ina, the original recipe called for Mexican sour cream, which offers a little twist to recipe.
Tom – this looks wickedly delicious…I would love a slice for breakfast please!
Thanks Ina, and yes it was very good at breakfast time too. The original recipe called for Mexican sour cream, which is a wonderfully thick cream with a savory, salty edge.
So…if I don’t have unsalted butter and don’t want to drive 14 miles for it,if they have it,what would happen if I used regular and left out the salt? I suppose I could keep some on hand and freeze it (as this has come up before). Thanks for the recipes!
Wow that looks great. I’d smear a little raspberry jam on the crust before filling just for fun. Also wondering how to incorporate lemon curd….will give it a try and let you know results
Laura, now you’re talking. I say, put the sour cream filling on the bottom and then a layer of lemon curd on top and then the berries.
Or, add a cup of lemon curd to the cream mixture, whip it up and have a light lemony creamy filling.
Yumm!! Butterrrr!!! Love it.
Tom, you are such a superb writer. That skill combined with content that makes my soul sing makes for a wonderful afternoon read. Thank you!
Thanks Janet, I sure appreciate that and am waiting for my head to swell. Uh, oh, can’t fit through the doorway. 😉
I think I’d prefer the sour cream filling you used here. And I believe there are few desserts as satisfying as berries and cream (except maybe for chocolate).
But when the berries are robed in pastry, well, I’ll believe in anything, even angels and pegasus 🙂
Couldn’t agree more Marysol! Happy baking! Tom
Hello Tom,
Do you grow loganberries too? I think I’ll make the switch over to them because the raspberries seem so fiddly to pick and they keep succumbing to some sort of blight. Loganberries are like raspberries on steroids with an intriguing perfume. However, I hope to continue to grow the Autumn Gold raspberry because it produces so late in the season and seems hardier than the other.
I’ll try the tart with loganberries but first, please, please how do you get the pastry out of the pan as such a complete and gorgeous, golden round? Mine gloms onto the metal and then I have to pick away with knife and fork. Not a great presentation.
Cheers
Sandra
PS How goes the greenhouse? Our ribs are still lying on the ground. Painful!
Hi Sandra, Funny you should mention. Yes I do grow Loganberries, Tayberries, Marionberries, and Boysenberries. The Loganberries are wonderfully tart and large, but I do find they are susceptible to summer dry spells. If I don’t water them, the Loganberries really suffer. The berries do stay on the vine, but they’ll dry up, unlike the raspberries which ripen and fall off if not picked in time. I say grow both raspberries and loganberries as the latter comes in a thorn-less variety. Mine is amazingly ornamental and would be welcome in any corner of my garden or along any fence. As for the tart pastry, maybe skip the tart pan and place parchment paper in the bottom of a pie plate and press the dough that way. It will come out — guaranteed! Now the greenhouse is so close to being finished, but the roller walls and vent transoms sit idly by, begging to be installed. I have a few plants in there for moral support. Painful, yes, but you and I will get these things done, eventually. 🙂 You have my permission to take the summer off.
Tom-I just enjoy your blog soooo much. Your Apple Berry Custard Crumble Pie is my family’s favorite pie. I made your Sour Cream Raspberry Tart and used blackberries instead, which I think worked out great! I even touted you on my edible gardening blog and posted my own pics 🙂
Thanks so much Jessica for your generous feedback and kind words. I’m looking forward to checking out your blog. I have a couple more recipes up my sleeve, but it will take extensive tasting and testing to perfect. 😉
To hot to cook. I’m thinking the berries and cream; and forget the tart 🙂
I tried it without the crust. I didn’t have time to bake a pie crust but used leftover sour cream pound cake instead..it was delish… great with peaches, blackberries and blueberries…so glad Tom shared the recipe..I plan to try the pie crust too. I adore shortbread
I love it when Plan B is equal to or excels Plan A. Pound cake…a brilliant substitution, and maybe next time shortbread cookies for a crust for a quick dessert.
I tried this new recipe of yours out last week, with apple and blackcurrant filling and greek yogurt instead of raspberries and sour cream. The crust was deliciously crisp and tied together well with the cream cheese and tart fruits 😀
Still love all of your recipes and blog updates after 2 years!
Janice, your version sounds delicious. Greek yogurt and I are on a first name basis, so I’m eager to try it now in this tart. As for your filling, now that is also a combo I could embrace, really clever and flavorful pairing. Thanks for your kind words and support. I’ll try to keep things interesting and delicious. Take care, Tom
Wow wow wow! Truly mouth watering. Thanks for sharing the recipes. Love ’em!
Those berries look perfect.
This looks and sounds amazing!! I definitely must try it!!