Flaherty Wines

So, I bought four kilos of raspberries the other day. They were so beautiful and fresh that I just couldn’t resist. The two flats didn’t look excessive at the time, but once I got them home…. My favorite way to store raspberries is to make a coulis—a slightly sweetened, strained puree that freezes well. Simply load up the blender, add a bit of powdered sugar, and blend. Adjust the sugar to taste, then pass the mixture through a strainer or a sieve. If you’re using a strainer, stirring the puree with a spoon will  speed up the process. Raspberry coulis is very versatile, and it quickly turns a simple dessert into something elegant. One of my summer favorites is chilled white peaches served with a generous spoonful of the coulis. It’s also delicious with other fruit, including yellow peaches, nectarines, and figs. Try using it as a sauce for a French lemon tart, or marble it into homemade vanilla ice cream, or use it as a topping for a quick ice cream sundae.

For this chocolate raspberry tart, I used the coulis both in the ganache and as a sauce on top. My usual choice for a sweet pastry crust is Daniel Boulud’s pâte sablée from the  Café Boulud Cookbook. The recipe makes enough for two tarts; you can freeze the other half for later use. (Chef Boulud recommends freezing for up to a month, but I admit to having used a dough that was older than that, with good results.) I’ve included the recipe below. The original recipe calls for using an electric mixer or a food processor. I’ve included instructions for making the pastry the old-fashioned way.

Chocolate raspberry tart

pâte sablée for one tart crust (recipe follows)

1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
100 grams dark chocolate (such as Lindt 70%), broken into small pieces
1 cup raspberry coulis, divided
Additional raspberries to decorate the finished tart

Prebake the pastry crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F (150 C). Roll out the dough and line a 9 inch tart pan. Cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper, then fill with dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans. Continue baking until golden (probably about 10 minutes).

To make the filling, heat the cream and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Do not boil the cream, as it might separate. Add the chocolate, wait a minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk to blend. Whisk in 1/2 cup raspberry coulis. Chill for about an hour, until it is fairly cold but not yet thickened.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a very thick whipped cream. Pour into the pastry shell and chill until ready to serve.

To serve, pour the remaining raspberry coulis over the top and cover with a single layer of raspberries.

Daniel Boulud’s pâte sablée

9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Note: I usually need a tablespoon of water to pull the dough together, probably because my farm eggs are too small.

For an electric mixer: Place all the ingredients except the egg in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and continue to mix only until the mixture comes together to form a moist soft dough—then stop. You don’t want to overmix the dough. You may have to lightly knead the dough a couple of times to finish pulling it together. Divide into two, press into rounds, wrap in plastic (or use a sealable plastic container), and refrigerate at least one hour or up to two days.

For a food processor: use the metal blade to process the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the flour and salt and process until the mixture is smooth again. Add the egg and process only unitl the dough forms curds and clumps. You may have to lightly knead the dough a couple of times to finish pulling it together. Divide into two, press into rounds, wrap in plastic (or use a sealable plastic container), and refrigerate at least one hour or up to two days.

By  hand: combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into one-tablespoon-sized pieces and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have a course meal, with no large lumps of butter. Add the egg and stir to combine. Lightly knead up to ten times to pull the dough together. Divide into two, press into rounds, wrap in plastic (or use a sealable plastic container), and refrigerate at least one hour or up to two days.