My first real job was the fry station at a fast-food counter, and I have never once missed the deep fryer. But the pastry display at my local bakery is a different story. There they were: little round tartlets, glossy on top, bright red raspberries pressed into a soft pale filling, sitting in neat rows like they had all-day appointments. I kept buying one on my way home. I never stopped wondering what was actually in them.
Turns out, a raspberry tartlet is the good kind of simple. Three parts: a crisp sweet crust, a soft almond cream (bakers call it frangipane), and enough raspberries to make every bite taste of the fruit. It is a classic French pastry treat, and honestly, it is the kind of dessert that makes a tired weeknight feel a little less tired.
Why this works
Almond cream is a French “equal parts” recipe: equal butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds. It bakes into a soft, cake-like filling, and the tart berries cut right through the richness. The second reason I like it is timing. The shells bake a day or two ahead, the filling can be made and chilled in advance, and the berries go on just before the final bake. When you are ready, you fill, bake, and serve. That is the whole plan.
Ingredients
Everything for the almond cream and the glaze, plus store-bought tartlet shells if you want the 30-minute version. For the full pastry, see the note under the method.
- 6 sweet tartlet shells, 12 cm (4.7 in) wide, baked and cooled
- 250 g (8 oz) fresh raspberries, firm and plump
For the almond cream (frangipane):
- 150 g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1 cm / 0.4 in cubes
- 3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar, or regular granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 2/3 cups ground almonds (almond meal), not almond flour
For the finish:
- 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed with 1 tsp water for a thin glaze
- 2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
Method
Total time: about 3 hours 30 minutes, but most of that is chilling and cooling. Your hands-on time is close to 40 minutes of prep plus 30 minutes in the oven.
- Bake the shells. Use a classic sweet pastry (pâte sucrée) rolled thin into 12 cm fluted tartlet tins and blind-baked until pale gold. If you are short on time, frozen shortcrust works, too. Dust it with a little icing sugar after lining so the crust has a sweet, golden base, and still blind-bake it before filling.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat on low speed until the mixture turns smooth and creamy. Add the ground almonds and mix just until folded in.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Beat each one in fully before adding the next. Adding them slowly keeps the mixture from splitting. It will look a bit lumpy, maybe even a touch curdled. That is normal, and it will bake up soft and smooth.
- Prep the raspberries. Set aside 18 whole berries. Halve all the rest. The whole berries go on top; the halved ones go inside and around the rim.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan). Press two-thirds of the halved raspberries onto the base of each shell. Spoon the almond cream evenly over them, filling to just below the rim and smoothing it with the back of a small spoon.
- Top and bake. Place 3 whole raspberries on each tartlet, then tuck the remaining halved berries around them, cut side down, pressing in just slightly. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the tray halfway, until the cream is puffed, lightly golden, and just set in the centre.
- Cool completely in the tins. The filling keeps setting as it cools, which makes glazing much easier. Then brush the tops with the warmed apricot glaze and scatter the pistachios around the rim.
Serving
Serve them at room temperature. They are fine straight from the tin with a cup of tea, and they also plate up nicely with a dollop of crème fraîche and a few extra raspberries on the side. If you cannot wait, serve one slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the filling. That is the version I always reach for first.
FAQ
Can I use frozen raspberries?
Fresh berries are best. They hold their shape and release less moisture, so the almond cream bakes up soft instead of soggy. Frozen berries thaw out soft and can make the filling wet, so I would not use them here.
Can I use other berries?
Yes. Blueberries work as-is, and strawberries are great once halved or quartered. A mix of berries is lovely, too.
Can I make the almond cream ahead?
Up to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge and take it out about 1 hour before using so it softens and is easy to spread. If it comes straight from the fridge, the tartlets may need 5 extra minutes. Judge by colour: puffed and lightly golden means done.
Can I make one large tart or smaller ones instead?
Yes. The same filling goes into one 24 cm (9.5 in) tart shell; bake for about 40 minutes until puffed, golden, and just set in the centre. For mini tartlets, use smaller tins, use less filling in each, and bake for around 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them in the final few minutes, since the time changes with size.
Trade-It Tip
No ground almonds? Use a coarse, finely milled version of whatever nut you have on hand, or a plain crushed-up biscuit base for the filling. The almond is the classic, but a nutty filling is the whole point. No pistachios? Skip the sprinkle. The glaze still does its job.
If it doesn’t fit a Tuesday night, it doesn’t get published.