Raspberry Almond Tart -- The Afternoon the Kitchen Held Everything

The lake was doing what the lake does this week: changing color hourly, sometimes by the minute, the way grief does. Iron gray at dawn. Steel blue by ten. Almost green by noon when the sun broke through. Pewter again by four. Black by six. I walked the lakefront with Sven on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Saturday, and the lake was different every time, and the lake was the same every time, and both things are how it works. Jakob (Anna's middle, recently graduated) has a job. He hates the job. He is figuring it out. He called me Tuesday for advice. I told him: that is what your twenties are for. The first job is supposed to be unsatisfying. The first job teaches you what you do not want. He said, "Grandma, that is not super helpful." I said, "It is the truth. Helpful is not always the same as comforting." He laughed. He hung up. He kept the job for now. He will figure it out. Lena (Anna's youngest, college freshman) is in college now. She calls me sometimes. The calls are about boys, mostly. I listen. I do not give advice. I am eighteen-year-old's grandmother. My credibility on boys is suspect at best. I tell her the kinds of things a grandmother is supposed to tell her: be careful, be brave, trust your gut, do not date the one who reminds you of someone you do not like. She thinks I am wise. I am, in fact, just old. The two get confused sometimes in the right direction. I cooked Lemon bars this week. Buttery shortbread crust, tangy lemon curd, dusted with powdered sugar. Cut into squares. Eaten on the porch in the afternoon sun. Thursday: soup. Always soup. Gerald said, "You are the most reliable woman in Duluth." I said, "I am the most reliable woman in this kitchen." He said, "Same thing." I do not think that is the same thing. I think that is a kindness Gerald gives me because Gerald is kind. I take the kindness. I do not argue. I lit a candle in the kitchen for no particular reason. Maybe for Mamma. Maybe for Pappa. Maybe for Lars. Maybe for Paul. Maybe for all of them. The candle is a tall white tapered one, set in a brass holder Mamma had on her dining room table for forty years. I let it burn down. The dripping wax made a small white pool on the brass. I cleaned it off. I lit another one the next night. It is enough. It has to be. And on a morning like this, with the lake doing what the lake does and the dog at my feet and the bread on the counter and the kitchen warm enough to live in, it is. I have learned, slowly, that there is a kind of competence that comes only with age. Not wisdom, exactly — wisdom is a word too grand for what I mean. Competence. The competence of having watched many things go wrong and many things go right and having developed an internal database of which is which. The competence is, perhaps, the only thing that improves with age in a body that is otherwise declining. I will take the trade. It is enough.

I made lemon bars first — those were for the porch, for the afternoon light — but the tart came later in the week, on a quieter day, when I wanted something that asked more of me. The Raspberry Almond Tart is that kind of recipe: it has layers, it has steps, it requires you to be present in a way that soup does not. I needed to be present. The lake was gray and the candle was burning and I needed my hands to be doing something deliberate. This was the right thing to make.

Raspberry Almond Tart

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water
For the almond cream filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour (finely ground blanched almonds)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed (for glaze)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Make the crust. In a food processor or large bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork it.
Chill the dough. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This step is not optional — it keeps the crust tender.
Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
Press in the crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Carefully transfer it to the tart pan, pressing it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess. Prick the bottom several times with a fork.
Blind bake the crust. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the crust is just barely golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Make the almond cream. Beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in almond extract and vanilla extract. Fold in almond flour and all-purpose flour until just combined.
Fill and top the tart. Spread the almond cream evenly over the pre-baked crust. Arrange fresh raspberries across the top, pressing them gently into the filling. Scatter sliced almonds over the surface.
Bake the tart. Return the tart to the oven and bake at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes, until the almond filling is set and golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The raspberries will sink slightly — that is correct.
Glaze and cool. While the tart is still warm, brush the surface lightly with warmed apricot jam for a gentle shine. Allow the tart to cool completely in the pan before removing the outer ring.
Serve. Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature. It is good the day it is made. It is also good the next morning with coffee.

Nutrition (per serving)

Raspberry Almond Tart -- The Afternoon the Kitchen Held Everything