Raspberry Honey Almond Tart

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I am completely befuddled by pie crusts. Can’t make them. Even with Mrs. Janes’s Never-Fail Pie Crust recipe, which, sadly, fails me every time. I fantasize that some day some nice pastry chef will take me under his or her wing and show me the way. Until then, I rely on tarts when I need a special dessert that wows. This is my absolute favorite from one of my favorite cookbooks. It was given to me 12 or so years ago by my dear high school and college friend, Kim, and I have used this recipe so many times that the pages have long ago fallen out and are jammed in the back of the book.

I have made this recipe as originally written with baked apricots or plums countless times, and it is phenomenal. You make a simple tart crust flavored with almond and vanilla extracts, then sprinkle the crust with ground almonds and top it with a cream, also flavored with almond and vanilla, as well as wildflower honey. Whenever I’ve made it in the past, I’ve always added halved apricots or Colorado plums, which bake up beautifully with the cream.

For Father’s Day, Ben requested some kind of fresh berry dessert. I was mulling pound cake or similar when I remembered that there is a side note variation for this tart if you want to use fresh berries. You bake the crust, top with almonds and cream and bake again. After cooling completely, you just top the baked tart and cream with fresh raspberries.

Frankly, I was skeptical, because I wasn’t sure how well the dish would come together. It was just incredible, and, honestly, tastier and more refreshing than the baked fruit versions. Everything about the apricot tart is rich... the buttery crust, the creamy topping, the deeply-flavored baked fruit. With the fresh berries, there’s a delicious contrast between the richness of the underlying tart and the lightness of fresh, cool raspberries. Even more amazing to me, this tart was even better cold after sitting in the fridge overnight (for breakfast with chilaquiles, coffee and mimosas!)

This recipe alone is reason enough to buy this beautiful, inspiring book. The only negative about this recipe is that, when it’s all gone, you’re left with plain-old Grape Nuts for breakfast.