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I live! And not only do I live, I made a pretty amazing raspberry tart.
This is another recipe from one of my favorite bakers, Alice Medrich. It combines a toasty, buttery coconut crust with the perfect combination of cooked and fresh raspberries. It is super easy to make, and relatively fool proof, but very impressive. It reminds me of something I might find in cafe in Paris served with some whipped cream or crème fraîche.
We didn’t eat it in Paris, or even after a French meal. We ate it while standing among packing materials and paint chips. Moving is stressful y’all! I am so looking forward to November and having all of the packing and moving behind us. I am excited to be settled into a new kitchen in time for the holidays. Soon, soon. Thanks for your continued patience in the meantime. In case you didn’t see it already, there is a little interview with me over at Gapers Block. Check it out to learn more about some of my favorite things in Chicago.
Really Raspberry Coconut Tart (from Alice Medrich)
Crust:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 6 cups raspberries, rinsed and spread on paper towels to drain
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
CRUST
Position a rack in lower third of oven. Place your heaviest, darkest baking sheet (or pizza stone) on the rack and preheat oven to 425°F.
Set a medium bowl near the stove. Spread the coconut in a wide heavy skillet, set over medium heat, and stir constantly until the coconut begins to color slightly. Turn the heat down and continue to stir until the coconut is mostly light golden brown and flecked with some white. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes, be careful not to burn the coconut. Immediately scrape toasted coconut into bowl.
Stir the sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt into the coconut. Add the flour and mix just until well blended. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. This takes a little patience as there is just enough dough.
FILLING
Mix the sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Add 2 1/2 cups of the berries and gently fold or toss to coat them with the sugar mixture. Pour the berries (including any loose flour or sugar) into the crust and spread them evenly.
Set the pan on a square of foil and fold the edges of the foil up and loosely over the edges of the crust to protect them temporarily. Set on the hot baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F, unfold the foil to expose crust edge, and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the berry juices are bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes more. About halfway through, use a fork to gently break up the berries.
Remove the tart from the oven and arrange the remaining berries attractively, as close together as possible, over the hot berries. Cool completely on a rack.
Remove the sides of the tart pan and dust the tart with powdered sugar before serving. The tart is best if served within a few hours of baking.
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Kylie of Thin Crust, Deep Dish says:
September 25th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Gorgeous photos! I love the way the powdered sugar looks; especially in the first one. This makes me want to hold onto summer just a little longer.
megan says:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:39 am
oh my god i think i just peed myself a little. this looks AMAZING
The Purple Foodie says:
September 26th, 2009 at 2:54 am
This looks fantastic Tim. I think it’s high time I get myself an Alice Medrich book
Kate says:
September 26th, 2009 at 7:44 am
This looks wonderful! Great photography….I want to reach in and take a slice!
Jennifer says:
September 26th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Beautiful!
dawn says:
September 26th, 2009 at 7:46 am
how I love a good coconut crust. your photos are breathtaking!
Whitney says:
September 26th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Holy crap that tart looks beautiful. Could the raspberries look any more perfect? Dang.
Rebecca says:
September 26th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Absolutely gorgeous!
arugulove says:
September 26th, 2009 at 10:30 am
This tart looks amazing! Really, really beautiful! I am so inspired to bake gorgeous things all weekend now!
kickpleat says:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Man, I need a tart pan, stat. This looks amazing and fresh. Wowzers.
Andilynn says:
September 26th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Welcome back Tim! Missed you a lot.
sivan says:
September 27th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
gorgeous tart. i <3 coconut!
v. cool interview!!
ingrid says:
September 27th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Yum, that is a good looking tart!
Good luck with your move!
~ingrid
kellypea says:
September 28th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Oh jeez that sounds fabulous. And the photos? Well. Cut me a slice, please. Love the coconut in it. What a great combo.
Martyna says:
September 28th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hi Tim
I have some questions – which are not exactly related to this particular recipe, but are related to baking in general – that I’m hoping it’s ok to stick here.
1) In your experience, does using (substantially) less sugar than the recipe calls change the baking process (things burn quicker, things don’t rise, etc.)? Also, will substituting white sugar for brown or vice versa affect the outcome in any way?
2) Is it okay to stick dough in the freezer for storage? If so, how long can it stay there?
I’ll appreciate any help!
Dawn in CA says:
September 28th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
You’re back! Missed you, and your delicious posts. Hope the move (and remodel?) goes well. If there are good raspberries at this week’s farmer’s market, I am all over this tart!
The Duo Dishes says:
September 28th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Looks outstanding. Perfect really. Perfect for sharing!
downtown brown says:
September 28th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
This looks amazing and so pretty! This is going in my to make list. Thanks for sharing
Laura [What I Like] says:
September 28th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Nothing better than a coconut crust…nothing.
Anja says:
September 28th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I love raspberry tarte… great pictures.
Dana says:
September 28th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
That is one lovely tart and perfectly photographed. Glad you survived the move!
lisa (dandysugar) says:
October 1st, 2009 at 4:48 pm
That is one handsome tart, I must say! Those raspberries, the juicy filling and coconut crust is just over the top. It looks sensational.
Caroline says:
October 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Oh Tim… your desserts. I feel naughty looking at these photos.
emma. our kitchen says:
October 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
This looks delicious! I have a birthday to cook for over the weekend and this has inspired me!
Thank you.
Danielle says:
October 27th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Amazing photography and what a lovely tart! It must taste amazing.
Christine says:
October 29th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
So jealous of your beautiful raspberries. . . my favorite fruit! I’ve flagged this recipe for my ‘must make this weekend’ list. Can’t wait.
sara says:
November 8th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
WOW, this looks so amazing! I love the combination of the cooked and raw raspberries…seems like it would be super delicious! :)
Sylvia says:
January 1st, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Your pictures of this dessert are fantastic! It doesn’t even look real with the candied raspberries. They are my absolute favorite, and this recipe looks relatively easy, even for me — which is saying a lot because I’m kinda a goof in the kitchen.
-Sylvia
Padrons
Lydia says:
April 30th, 2011 at 7:33 am
I am planning on making this tart tonight. Do you have any suggestions on adding a thin chocolate layer between the crust and the raspberry filling? We are eating lamb shank for dinner, and I want to use your recipe, as I trust it, but think chocolate would help tie it into the meal as a whole better. I’m imagining melting some semi-sweet chocolate, mixing with a bit of sugar, and just adding the layer in between the crust and the filling. Any thoughts on this idea???
Tim says:
April 30th, 2011 at 8:26 am
Hi Lydia! Your dinner sounds great. I really don’t like chocolate very much and almost never use it- so I am the wrong person to ask. Sorry. I think the genius of this tart is that it is super bright and fresh, I’m not sure how well chocolate would fit? Let me know if you come up with something you like!