Fresh Raspberry Tart also called open-face pie, galette or crostata is an easy alternative to the classic double crusted fruit pie. Whenever I have left-over pie pastry, I use up the scraps by making one of these rustic little tarts. It appeals to my inner frugal self!
Fresh Raspberry Tart is perfect for freezing. When you need it, take it out of the freezer to thaw then bake as directed below.
First you need to make some pie pastry. Easy for me to say, ‘make some pie crust,’ but if you’ve never made a pie before this is where you look at the photos and say, “see ya”.
Mastering the art of pie crust making can be a daunting task but if you follow my directions I promise you’ll be a pie making machine.
There are a number of pitfalls to look out for and avoid. Creating a pie crust requires a delicate balance of ingredients, proportions, and techniques. The primary challenge lies in achieving the right texture—tender, flaky, and flavorful. Too much water can lead to a tough crust, while too little can result in a dry and crumbly one. Achieving the perfect balance is a skill that comes with practice and patience.
When you first start working with pie dough it can be quite challenging. Overworking the dough can develop gluten, making it tough and chewy. On the other hand, insufficient kneading can result in a crust that falls apart easily. Achieving the ideal consistency involves gently mixing the ingredients until they just come together, without excessive handling.
Pie dough is temperature-sensitive, making it susceptible to changes in heat. Keeping all ingredients, including the fat, water, and even the bowl, chilled is essential. Warm ingredients can lead to melting fat and a sticky, difficult-to-roll dough. Maintaining a cool environment and handling the dough swiftly can help avoid these issues.
Rolling out the dough evenly and transferring it to the pie dish can be tricky. Uneven thickness may result in an unevenly baked crust. It’s essential to roll the dough in a circular motion, starting from the center and working outward, to maintain uniformity. Transferring the dough to the pie dish can be accomplished by rolling it loosely onto the rolling pin and unrolling it over the dish.
Obviously homemade pie crust presents challenges, but so worth the effort. The satisfaction of creating a flaky, golden crust from scratch is so satisfying.
Take your time. Follow my directions and you will be pulling a gorgeous Fresh Raspberry Tart out of your oven in no time!
FRESH RASPBERRY TART
PASTRY from the Tenderflake Lard box
Makes 3 double crust 9” pies
Preheat oven 425*F
5 1/2 cups all – purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 lb lard, room temperature
1 egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar
ice water
FILLING:
The amount of raspberries needed will depend on the size of your pie plate.
Use ¼ cup of sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour to every 1 cup of raspberries. Remember that the fruit will cook down during the baking process so you can heap it up. 
THE STEPS:
- Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir well.
- Cut lard into the flour with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal.
- Beat egg in the bottom of a one-cup measure, add vinegar then fill cup with ice water.
- Pour mixture over flour and combine with a fork until it forms a mass. At this point, I put on a pair of disposable rubber gloves and finish working the lard into the flour.
- Place pastry on a floured surface and knead several times then divide pastry into 4 parts.
- Using one portion of pastry on the floured surface, press it lightly to form a circle.
- Place your rolling-pin in the centre of the circle and roll to the outside edge. Then roll in the opposite direction. Rotate the dough to allow you to do this in all directions until you have a circle. Make sure that you are applying even pressure on your rolling-pin so that your pastry is able to bake evenly! Roll the pastry out so that the circle is slightly wider than your pie plate.
- Roll the pastry loosely around your rolling-pin and place on pie plate.
- Fit the dough in your pie plate by gently pressing it against the bottom and sides. Allow the access pastry to hang over the edge of the pie plate.
- Sprinkle half of your sugar mixture over the pastry.
- Pour in your raspberries and top with remaining sugar mixture.
- Gently fold access pie pastry towards the centre of the tart.
- Brush pastry with egg wash then place tart in preheated oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350*F.
- Bake another 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden on the bottom and fruit is bubbling.
- Cool to room temperature before serving.
THE LOVE: Using a clear glass pie plate allows you to make sure the pastry is golden brown and cooked. There’s nothing worse than serving pie with a soggy half cooked crust!
Thanks for reading.
Ingredients
Pastry
5 1/2 cups all – purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 lb lard, room temperature
1 egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar
ice water
FILLING:
The amount of raspberries needed will depend on the size of your pie plate.
Use ¼ cup of sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour to every 1 cup of raspberries.
Instructions
PASTRY from the Tenderflake Lard box
Makes 3 double crust 9” pies
Preheat oven 425*F
- Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir well.
- Cut lard into the flour with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal.
- Beat egg in the bottom of a one-cup measure, add vinegar then fill cup with ice water.
- Pour mixture over flour and combine with a fork until it forms a mass. At this point, I put on a pair of disposable rubber gloves and finish working the lard into the flour.
- Place pastry on a floured surface and knead several times then divide pastry into 4 parts.
- Using one portion of pastry on the floured surface, press it lightly to form a circle.
- Place your rolling-pin in the centre of the circle and roll to the outside edge. Then roll in the opposite direction. Rotate the dough to allow you to do this in all directions until you have a circle. Make sure that you are applying even pressure on your rolling-pin so that your pastry is able to bake evenly! Roll the pastry out so that the circle is slightly wider than your pie plate.
- Roll the pastry loosely around your rolling-pin and place on pie plate.
- Fit the dough in your pie plate by gently pressing it against the bottom and sides. Allow the access pastry to hang over the edge of the pie plate.
- Sprinkle half of your sugar mixture over the pastry.
- Pour in your raspberries and top with remaining sugar mixture.
- Gently fold access pie pastry towards the centre of the tart.
- Brush pastry with egg wash then place tart in preheated oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350*F.
- Bake another 30 - 40 minutes or until crust is golden on the bottom and fruit is bubbling.
- Cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
THE LOVE: Use a clear glass pie plate to make sure that you can see that the pastry is golden brown and cooked. There’s nothing worse than serving pie with a soggy half cooked crust.
