Published on June 17th, 2017
0Fresh Raspberry Tarts
Trust that fancy-pansy culinary tools are rare and elusive here in my (otherwise beloved) adopted country (Ecuador). And even when I can track down some stray kitchen gadget (that in my native land would easily be found at any Bed, Bath and Beyond in a heartbeat – in 5 colors and 3 sizes), the cost of said culinary prize is likely to be at least twice what even the spiffiest Sur La Table charges.
But the truth is – call me a masochist if you will – but I actually kind of relish the challenge of “making do” in the foreign lands that I choose to live in, and this recipe is a good example of just that.
My local “department store” here in El Centro carries precious little in the way of baking equipment, much less tart pans. But by some miracle they actually had a small assortment of silicone baking pans, among which was the red “My Lil’ Pie Maker” kit pictured here. And with a price tag of just $3.98, for a moment there – I kinda thought I’d died and gone to… TARGET! 😀 The silicone cups worked great for the “tortilla cups” I’d made earlier for my “Shrimp Cups with Avocado Salsa“, so I thought I’d try actually making miniature pies with the kit.
The trickiest dilemma however, was unearthing a simple “rolling pin”. No dice, nowhere, nohow – leastwise not here in El Centro. But of course “Necessity” has long been the “Mother of Invention“, so the solution was simple: a full, 3 liter bottle of water – worked like a charm!
Oh and speaking of rolling pins (and their natural companions, pie crusts) – there I got super-lucky, and found a refrigerated packet of ready-made piecrust dough! Thus for these tarts, feel free to use your own family pie crust recipe, else likewise a handy packet of ready-made dough.
Fresh Raspberry Tarts
Armed with a toaster-oven and a full, 3 liter bottle of water for a “rolling pin” – even a minimalist expat can create dainty fruit tarts!
Note: you can change the “Servings” above, as well as handily check-off each ingredient below as you gather/use it:
Ready? Set – GO! Click the timer to start: 50 Minutes
For the filling, mix together lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, then gently fold in the fresh raspberries. Let sit while you roll out the pie dough.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chilled dough from fridge; cut in half and return one half to fridge while you roll out the first tart shells.
Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thickness.
Note that a full bottle of water (or better yet, wine!) makes a great “rolling pin”. We minimalist expats are nothing, if not creative in “making-do” with the barest of “stuff”. 😀
Cut circles of dough using a circle cutter about 1.5″ larger than the diameter of your tart cup. Ease each dough circle gently into a tart cup allowing 1/4″ excess along the top edge. Prick all over with fork.
Divide raspberry mixture between each tart cup, filling generously.
Knead the excess dough scraps into a ball; roll out anew to 1/8″ thickness and cut thin strips to create a woven lattice topping, dabbing the ends with the egg yolk mixture to seal against the edges of the tart cup. Be creative, cut simple diamond or heart shapes and lay atop the berries.
Brush beaten egg yolk over all to give the dough shine.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Buen provecho! (Bon appétit!)
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Ingredients
Directions
For the filling, mix together lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, then gently fold in the fresh raspberries. Let sit while you roll out the pie dough.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chilled dough from fridge; cut in half and return one half to fridge while you roll out the first tart shells.
Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thickness.
Note that a full bottle of water (or better yet, wine!) makes a great “rolling pin”. We minimalist expats are nothing, if not creative in “making-do” with the barest of “stuff”. 😀
Cut circles of dough using a circle cutter about 1.5″ larger than the diameter of your tart cup. Ease each dough circle gently into a tart cup allowing 1/4″ excess along the top edge. Prick all over with fork.
Divide raspberry mixture between each tart cup, filling generously.
Knead the excess dough scraps into a ball; roll out anew to 1/8″ thickness and cut thin strips to create a woven lattice topping, dabbing the ends with the egg yolk mixture to seal against the edges of the tart cup. Be creative, cut simple diamond or heart shapes and lay atop the berries.
Brush beaten egg yolk over all to give the dough shine.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Buen provecho! (Bon appétit!)
Notes
About the Author
Dyanne Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion,and I’ve always lived life “like-a-kid-in-a-candy-store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been: This ain’t a dress rehearsal, folks!
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Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion, and I’ve always lived life “like a kid in a candy store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been:
