FRESH RASPBERRY TART with white chocolate and mascarpone

     This tart was my contribution to the  fabulous dinner  we had at our friends' house over Memorial Day weekend... the last tart I baked before my stove was pulled from my kitchen for the remodel.  And this is a great tart, with a cocoa pastry shell, mascarpone cheese, white chocolate and heavy cream filling, and as you can see, fresh raspberries.

     There were also some generous splashes of Crème de Framboises in the cream filling.  This is the same bottle of Crème de Framboises that almost led to my incarceration on a return trip from Paris.  I didn't realize that the liqueur, purchased at the gate before boarding my flight at Charles de Gaulle and placed in my carry-on, needed to be out of my carry-on and into my checked luggage before going through security when leaving customs upon my arrival in Detroit.  That was all prior to boarding another flight for Minneapolis (can you understand how I was confused?).  When I was pulled aside in Detroit because of this, and raised my hands above my head saying (well, maybe screaming), "So, you've already taken my flowers (that's another long story), and now you're going to take my liquor, too !?!"  I was immediately surrounded and pulled aside by 4 security guards as my sister Susan watched (in horror) from behind a glass wall opposite customs.  It was eventually resolved (I think one of the security guards felt sorry for me) by putting the Crème de Framboises in my carry-on luggage and checking that through to Minneapolis, while the rest of my carry-on items were placed in a large, green garbage bag given to me by security.  I felt like everyone in the terminal was staring at me, because everyone was staring as I dragged the heavy garbage bag behind me to catch my flight many gates away.
     A little more information than you needed to know?  Probably.  Everything in my home has a story behind it... but now, back to this Raspberry Tart; it's delicious!  Make it now while beautiful raspberries are plentiful.  It's a real treat, and if I had an oven right now, I'd be baking another.

                                  Tarte aux Framboise                     

                         adapted  Raspberry Tart  recipe by  Debra Fioritto

For the Crust:
• 1 1/3 cups cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon ice water, plus 1 teaspoon extra water if needed
For the Filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• optional: splash of Framboises, Kirsch, or other eau de vie
• 12 ounces fresh raspberries

To Make the Crust:
1.  Put the cake flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to combine.
2.  Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
3.  Lightly beat the egg yolk and tablespoon of water together.
4. While the food processor is running, add the egg yolk/water mixture and pulse until it starts to clump.  You may have to add the extra teaspoon ice water to get the dough to come together.
5.  Place the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, roll into a ball. Flatten into a disk and wrap the plastic around it.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
6.  Roll the pastry into an 11-inch round and place in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (this is a delicate dough, so handle accordingly); trim.  Prick the bottom of the tart shell several times with the tines of fork.  Put tart pan in a freezer for 30 minutes.  Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 375˚F.
7.  Line the tart shell with foil and fill with dried rice or beans.  Place on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Very carefully remove the foil and rice or beans, and return the tart pan to the oven until dry, possibly another 5 minutes.  You're not going to be able to tell by the color of the crust if it's done.  Use your fingertips to feel if the crust is dry.
8.  While the tart dough is in the oven, make the filling.  Place the chopped white chocolate in a medium-size bowl.  Scald the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate; stir until smooth.  Cool to room temperature, then mix the cream mixture and mascarpone cheese together.  Optional:  mix in a splash or two (or three) of Framboises into the mixture.
9.  Spoon the mixture into the cooled tart shell and gently, spread evenly over the crust.  Top the cream mixture with the fresh raspberries. 

  +  I used 12 ounces of raspberries, but came up a little short when covering the cream mixture, so I grated some white and dark chocolates to sprinkle in the center of the tart.

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