Raspberry Shortbread Tart

There is an undeniable elegance in serving a dessert that celebrates the unadulterated beauty of fresh fruit. While heavy chocolate confections certainly have their rightful place on the dining table, a beautifully crafted fruit tart acts as a bright, restorative palate cleanser. True hospitality encourages us to bypass the convenience of overly sweetened, commercial fruit preserves in favor of taking the time to reduce fresh berries into a rich, bespoke filling.

This tart is a stunning exercise in texture and restraint. The result is a magnificent centerpiece for a refined afternoon tea or a graceful conclusion to a summer dinner, perfectly balancing the rustic crunch of cornmeal with the bright tang of the season's best fruit.

The Almond Cornmeal Crust

The foundation is a unique, richly textured dough that pairs the warm nuttiness of freshly toasted sliced almonds with the satisfying bite of yellow cornmeal. Brightened with fresh orange zest, this buttery dough serves a dual purpose: half is pressed firmly into a fluted tart pan for a sturdy base, while the other half is chilled and then crumbled generously over the top before the final bake.

The Berry Filling

Nestled between those golden, crumbly layers is a vibrant filling of fresh raspberries simmered down with bright citrus juice. By cooking the fruit on the stovetop until it breaks down — and stirring in a spoonful of apricot jam for a gorgeous gloss — you build a deeply concentrated, intensely flavored center that slices beautifully every time.

Jorj Morgan

Raspberry Shortbread Tart

This Raspberry Shortbread Tart layers a vibrant, sun-kissed raspberry and orange filling over a rich, buttery almond-cornmeal crust, crowned with golden shortbread crumbles and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar for an elegant finish.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Chilling Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

The Fresh Raspberry Filling

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 medium orange about 3 tablespoons
• 2 pints fresh raspberries about 4 cups
• ¼ cup apricot jam

For the Dough - Dry Ingredients

• 6 ounces sliced almonds about 1 ½ cups
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour divided (¼ cup for processing, 2 ¾ cups for mixing)
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon table salt

For the Dough - Wet Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter 3 sticks, chilled and cut into small cubes
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 medium orange about 2 teaspoons
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large egg yolks

The Finish

• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Method

 

Reduce the Filling

1. Combine 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar and the fresh orange juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir continuously until the sugar completely dissolves, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the fresh raspberries and reduce the heat to low.
4. Cook gently until the raspberries have broken down and released their juices, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the apricot jam.
6. Simmer the mixture until the jam melts seamlessly into the sauce, about 2 minutes more.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool to room temperature.

Toast the Almonds

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Spread the sliced almonds evenly onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake until they just begin to turn fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and cool completely to room temperature.

Process the Dough

1. Place ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour into the bowl of a food processor along with the cooled, toasted almonds.
2. Pulse the mixture until it forms fine crumbs.
3. Pour the almond-flour crumbs into a large mixing bowl.
4. Whisk in the remaining 2 ¾ cups of flour, the yellow cornmeal, and the table salt, then set aside.
5. Place the chilled, cubed butter into the empty bowl of the food processor.
6. Add 1 cup of granulated sugar, the orange zest, and the vanilla extract.
7. Pulse until the mixture is creamy.
8. Add the egg yolks and pulse briefly to combine.
9. Add the reserved dry almond-flour ingredients into the processor and pulse until the dough just begins to come together.

Chill and Par-Bake

1. Pour the dough out onto a clean work surface and gently bring it together.
2. Divide the dough evenly in half.
3. Coat the bottom and sides of a 12-inch fluted tart pan (with a removable bottom) with vegetable oil spray.
4. Press one half of the dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan to form the crust.
5. Wrap the second half of the dough tightly in plastic wrap.
6. Refrigerate both the tart pan and the wrapped dough for 30 minutes.
7. After chilling, use the tines of a fork to prick the bottom of the tart shell all over.
8. Place the tart pan onto a baking sheet and bake in the 325°F oven until the crust is golden, about 30 minutes.

Assemble and Bake

1. Remove the par-baked tart shell from the oven.
2. Spread the cooled raspberry filling in an even layer over the warm crust.
3. Unwrap the remaining chilled dough and crumble it generously over the top of the filling.
4. Return the tart to the oven and bake until the crumbled top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes more.
5. Allow the tart to cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Once cooled, sprinkle the top generously with confectioners’ sugar.
7. Carefully remove the outer rim from the tart pan, transfer the tart to a platter, and serve.