Raspberry Tart with Cheese and Honey Cream

Raspberries are among my favorite fruits. When fresh and sweet, they taste best simply on their own, or just toasted on light summer desserts.

As raspberries are now in season and available everywhere, not surprisingly, this recipe came to my mind during my latest food shopping. It is a very easy and delicious dessert, perfect for this season when raspberries are easy to get, inexpensive, and sweet. I used to make it quite often in the past, but somehow I have never made it since I started this blog.

Recently, I make desserts only when I cook dinners for friends, so last week, while having my neighbors for an impromptu dinner, I made this cake to take pictures and get their opinion. They liked it a lot and complimented everything: the crust, the cream, and the presentation.

This tart is made almost entirely in a food processor. Only the base is baked. The crust for this cake is very short but also kind of grainy which gives the whole tart an interesting texture. There is a thin layer of cream on it and then a lot of raspberries on top.

I like this tart so much because, like many European desserts, it is not too sweet. The cream cheese and crème fraîche filling is sweetened only with a little bit of honey. But when you bite a piece of this tart, the crunchiness of the base blends with the soft cream and delicate juicy raspberries drizzled with honey and, for a moment, you feel in your mouth a summer heaven from Provence or Tuscany.

Raspberry Tart with Cheese and Honey Cream
(For a 10-inch tart form with removable bottom)

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour,
7 tbsp butter, cut into thick slices,
1 large egg,
1/4 cup sugar,
a generous pinch of salt.

For the topping:
1 pack 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature,
1/4 cup crème fraîche (sour cream can be a substitute if crème fraîche is not available),
1/4 cup running honey, plus extra 2 tbsp,
1 lb (3-4 cups) of fresh raspberries,

Preparation:
1. To make crust, put flour, butter, sugar, egg, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients create crumbles. Transfer them to a lightly buttered tart form. Press them to the bottom and sides of the form with fingers and let chill for a minimum of one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake the crust for 25-30 minutes, until dark gold. Let it cool completely.
3. To make cream filling, using an electric mixer beat cream cheese, honey and crème fraîche until smooth. Spread evenly on the bottom of the crust.
4. Decorate the top of the tart with raspberries and drizzle with remaining the 2 tbsp of honey.

5. Gently remove the tart from the pan by removing the wall. Place on the serving plate. Serve at room temperature. The tart can be kept in a refrigerator for up to three days.