.jpg)
This White Chocolate Raspberry Tart is so impressive with a homemade flaky and buttery chocolate pastry crust, smooth white chocolate ganache filling and tart fresh raspberries. The flavor combination of bittersweet chocolate, creamy sweet white chocolate and tart fruity red berries is heavenly. I first developed this recipe for an appearance on the cooking segment of a local daytime talk show in Toronto. It was a major hit and I also published the recipe in my debut Scientifically Sweet cookbook. Not only does this tart look so eye-catching, but it is truly full of flavor and texture. After you try this, you should also try my Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart which is perfect for ultimate chocoholics. If you love the combination of white chocolate and raspberries, check out my White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies as well.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
👉Tender and flaky chocolate pastry - this pastry crust has just the right balance of tenderness and structure to hold up to a no-bake filling.
👉Smooth white chocolate ganache filling - the filling is easy to prepare from just 3 ingredients and doesn't require any baking. It is so silky smooth.
👉Sweet creamy flavor - pure white chocolate has such a pleasant milky taste with hints of vanilla. Make sure to use pure white chocolate with minimum 30% cocoa butter.
👉Not too sweet - the balance of bitter cocoa pastry crust helps balance the sweet filling and a pinch of salt also helps to ensure the white chocolate isn't cloying.
👉Fresh raspberries - I love this recipe for how well it showcases fresh raspberries as they do not get cooked. They are tart and sweet and make such a nice complement to sweet white chocolate.
INGREDIENTS FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TART
Here are some notes on some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
👉Pure white chocolate - it's so important to use pure white chocolate since it is the main ingredients. Pure white chocolate has cocoa butter as the only fat on the ingredient list. There should not be any vegetable oil, palm oil or anhydrous milk fat.
👉Cream - you'll need cream with 35% milk fat which is also called heavy whipping cream.
👉Salt - salt is so important to balance the sweetness of the white chocolate.
👉Butter - unsalted butter or salted butter works for the pastry. If you use salted butter, then you can omit the added salt.
👉Flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for pastries. If you have pastry flour, you can also use that but it is not necessary especially since the flour will be cut with cocoa powder.
👉Cocoa powder - you can use natural or Dutch process cocoa, but if you prefer a darker looking crust, Dutch cocoa works well here. This is the one I prefer here.
👉Egg - I use a whole egg for this pastry as opposed to just the yolk for when I make blonde pastry. Since cocoa powder doesn't have as much structure-building properties as flour, the egg proteins will help with this so that the crust has some stability and isn't too crumbly.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TART
👉STEP 1). Make the pastry. Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
👉STEP 2). Blend in the butter. Add the cold pieces of butter and rub them in with your fingertips or use a pastry cutter until they are broken down to small pieces the size of oat flakes. There shouldn’t be large pieces of butter left, but also try not to over-work it so that you don’t heat it up from the warmth of your hands. Having the butter well dispersed will make a tender crust.
👉STEP 3). Incorporate the egg and bring it together. Beat the egg well in a small bowl and then drizzle it into the bowl while tossing the dry mixture with a fork. Once you have added all of the egg, turn the mixture out onto a work surface and bring it together with your hands slightly cupped to press the dough together. Do not knead the dough, but you can fold it over itself a few times to bring it together and press in loose bits.
👉STEP 4). Chill the dough. Wrap it well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
👉STEP 5). Roll out the dough. Roll it out to between ⅛ and ¼ inch thickness. Dust the surface of the dough lightly with flour as necessary to prevent sticking, then lightly brush off excess flour once you roll it out to the correct thickness. Transfer it to a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough evenly along the base and up the sides of the pan, folding over the overhanging dough to reinforce the edge crust. Bake until the pastry looks matte and feels dry to the touch. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.
👉STEP 6). Make the filling. Place the finely chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Combine cream and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring it to a boil. You can also use the microwave to heat it, but make sure you watch that it doesn’t boil over. Remove from heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate. Whisk gently until completely melted, smooth and glossy.
👉STEP 7). Fill the pastry crust and chill. Spoon the filling into the cooled tart pan(s). Place the tarts in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
👉STEP 8). Add raspberries. Once set, arrange fresh raspberries on top and decorate with chocolate shavings or curls.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
👉Do not over-work the pastry. The pastry dough mixture will look more shaggy than cohesive when you turn it onto the surface. As you bring it together with your hands you will see there is enough moisture. A good way to tell this is by taking a handful and making a fist to press it together in your hands. If it holds together and you see your knuckle marks in it, then it is moist enough.
👉Definitely chill the pastry. If you try to roll pastry immediately, it will not roll out as smoothly and will be quite sticky. You also will not get the flakiest results. As pastry rests in the fridge, the flour has time to hydrate further and the gluten proteins align so that they don't retract when you roll it. The butter also firms up so that it doesn't melt into the dough before baking which would make the dough tacky.
👉Do not over-mix the filling. Ganache is so easy to make but can be ruined if you over-mix it especially using a whisk. If over-whisked, the fat from the cream and chocolate can separate and cause it to look grainy. Just use a whisk in a stirring motion making concentric circles from the center and working your way out to the edges until you see it emulsifying into a smooth glossy mixture.
👉Chop the chocolate finely. The smaller the pieces of white chocolate, the more evenly and quickly the chocolate will melt.
👉Let the chocolate melt slowly. Once you add the hot cream, cover the bowl and let the mixture stand for 2 minutes to let the heat gently melt the white chocolate before stirring. This will create the smoothest emulsion as heat penetrates the chocolate so that it is already mostly melted when you start to stir.
👉Stir gently as this will ensure the chocolate and cream form a homogeneous emulsion that won't split. Vigorous stirring will incorporate air and can break the emulsion, leaving you with an oily curdled-looking mess.
👉Use a high quality white chocolate - one that you prefer to eat. Since the filling is mostly made of white chocolate, it is important that it has a nice taste and high cocoa butter content.
RECIPE FAQ
What type of chocolate is best for this white chocolate tart?
For this recipe you should absolutely use pure white chocolate. Do not use compound chocolate or melting wafers. Pure white chocolate has a high cocoa butter content and will set properly with a better flavor and texture.
Do I need to add sugar to the white chocolate filling?
This filling is sweet enough since white chocolate contains over 60% sugar.
How do I know when the filling is set?
This white chocolate ganache filling for this tart is set when it starts to look more matte (but it will still have a sheen). If you touch it, it will feel give way to pressure, but it should not feel wet nor runny.
Can I set this tart in the fridge to set?
Yes, since white chocolate has a high sugar content, it needs to be chilled to set properly.