Raspberry Tartlets

I posted a couple of years ago a recipe for a gluten-free raspberry tart. This is still a great recipe, but I found that I wanted to make individual tartlets instead of one big tart because gluten-free tart crust is so crumbly.

I kind of winged it in terms of amounts of things, but thought it would help to be a little more precise about how much tart dough and filling are required when converting the recipe into tartlets.

I discovered that 2-2.5 oz of tart dough per 4-inch tartlet pan is just the right amount to cover the pan nicely without too much stress over pressing it super-thin. A double batch of the GF tart crust recipe I used before is ideal. You'll end up with about a dozen tartlets. I only needed 8 for family dinner, but none of us complained about the extras. You could always freeze extra pre-baked shells.

A double batch of filling for a dozen tartlets is also the right way to go. You might end up with a little more filling in each tart, but I think that's a good thing. I upped the sweetening a little in the filling, as I find the GF tart crust to be ever-so-slightly bitter.

Don't skimp on the raspberries, either. I would increase the expected amount from 4 cups to 6 cups just to be really decadent about it.

Makes 12 tartlets

GLUTEN-FREE TART CRUST

RICE FLOUR MIX: 2 c. brown rice flour, 2/3 c. potato starch, 1/3 c. tapioca

CRUST INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c. rice flour mix
1 1/2 c. ground almonds (almond meal)
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
scant 1 tsp xanthan gum
8 oz. (1/2 lb, 2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor briefly
2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarse with lumps the size of peas
3. While the processor is running, add the beaten egg. Mix just until the dough comes together
4. Pat the dough into your tartlet pans and prick it all over with a fork
   
5. Freeze for half an hour
   
6. While the dough is cooling, preheat the oven to 350F
7. Place the tart pans on a baking tray (for convenience) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes)
   
8. Remove tart crusts from oven and cool. Proceed with raspberry tart recipe

RASPBERRY FILLING

INGREDIENTS
4-6 c. raspberries, halved (it's okay for 2-3 c. of the raspberries to have been frozen, but do thaw them first. You really need fresh raspberries for the topping, though)
1 c. crème fraîche (well-strained whole milk yogurt works very well, too)
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. ground almonds (almond meal)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Cover the bottom of your par-baked tartlet crusts with 2-3 cups of raspberries (fresh or previously-frozen)
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients
4. Pour over the raspberries in the tart crust
5. Bake until the custard is set (puffed and golden), about 15-20 minutes (can't remember exactly how long it took them to cook, so start checking at 15 and don't panic if it takes longer than 20 minutes. Full-size tart is supposed to take 35 minutes)
   
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely (I like this tart best cold)
7. Just before serving, heap the remaining 2-3 cups fresh raspberries on top of the tartlets