Tantalizing Raspberry Tarts

Halcyon Eve's Note:

Another recipe from "The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook": "The little girls of Avonlea school always pooled their lunches, and to eat three raspberry tarts all alone or even to share them only with one's best chum would have forever and ever branded as "awful mean" the girl who did it. And yet, when the tarts were divided among ten girls you just got enough to tantalize you. " (from "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery). Times are estimated and do not include cooling time beyond the initial 15 minutes (included in cooking time). The original recipe did not specify the size of package of frozen berries, so I guessed a 10 oz package based on the fresh raspberry substitution.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-10

Yield: 8.0 tarts

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed or 1 cup fresh raspberry
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles tiny peas.
3. Combine egg yolk, water, and lemon juice with a fork.
4. Sprinkle egg yolk mixture over flour mixture and stir together with a fork until it forms a ball.
5. Pull small pieces of pastry from the ball and press into bottom and sides of the tart pans to about 1/8 inch thickness. Refrigerate until ready to use.
6. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small saucepan until smooth. Stir in sugar and raspberries. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Allow mixture to cool.
7. Spoon filling evenly into tart shells, filling each no more than 2/3 full.
8. Bake at 425° F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and cool, in pans, for 15 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.

Reviews

[Katplus3]

Reading the reviews caused me to adjust the corn starch to half. I used fresh raspberries, and needed the full 10 minutes for them to thicken to the right consistency. Like Debbb I used this recipe to enter the local fall fair this weekend, and woot, I took first place with it!

[sk8er mom]

This is great! My great-aunt used to make tarts like these when she lived on the farm. I cut back the sugar to 1/2 cup and they were still sweeter than we like but good none-the-less. The extra filling was spread on toast and was great as jam.

[Debbb]

Really good! I loved the rich, buttery cookie crust. I also loved how easy the recipe was. I used the frozen berries. I found the filling to be a little too solid with a slight chalky taste of the cornstarch. I did use the recipe to enter in the county fair last week & earned first place!!