While they're still here: brown butter raspberry tart

First, ragazzi, Annalena is sure that she posted this recipe; however, she cannot find it.  Hence it is possible that she did not, and if she did not, that is a minor tragedy, because this one is a true winner, which should be in ALL of your repertoires.

In the post of yesterday, Annalena spoke of rediscovering cream cheese this year, as a cooking ingredient.  This is also the year when she discovered brown butter.  Yes, she knew about it, and used it, but the full enjoyment of it did not come until the revelatory moment when she ate her first spoon of brown butter ice cream.  Indeed, it WAS revelatory, and you all have that recipe.

Well, her interest was reborn after her ginger bud Ken posted a picture from Paris, of a raspberry pistachio tart.  The ginger man was coming to dinner, so Annalena was trying to re-create a bit of Paris, with her own flair.  She came close, she thinks. But whether it's imitative or not,  this is good.  This is REALLY good.  And it's easy. Ideally,  you should have a tart pan with a removable bottom (would that Annalena's bottom were removable), but if you don't, do it in a regular pie pan.  Nine inches, please.  You CAN make it in a larger one (Annalena's tart pan was bigger), but adjust the times, i.e, lower them, because there's not as much depth in the dish.

Let's make our crust first.  You melt a stick of butter, and while that's melting, mix a third of a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, and a pinch of salt together.  If you wish to go the nut route, grind up about a half cup of your nut of choice, and put half of that in with this stuff.  Add the melted butter, stir it until it's uniform, and then dump it into your pan, and press it with your fingers until it's even.

Any time  you don't have to roll out a crust, ragazzi, you are on easy street.  So you are here.  Now get that into the oven, and bake it for 15-18 minutes at 375.  Check at 15.  If you used the smaller pan, you will need the extra few minutes.  If you used a larger one, it will be done.  Remove it, and leave it to the side . (Incidentally, if you put the tart pan on a baking sheet, this is MUCH easier).

Let's make our filling. Get another stick of butter, and melt it.  Melt it over low heat, and try to use a light colored pan, so you can watch the color change.  It will take about six minutes.       While this is happening, put together a half cup of sugar, 2 eggs, a quarter cup of flour and if you like, a bit of vanilla extract.  Mix that all together, and then pour in that brown butter. Stir that all together, and then pour it into the crust.

Didn't break a sweat, did you? Now, festoon that tart with berries.  Be generous.  You didn't work hard here, so use lots of good fruit.  If you don't have raspberries, any berry will do, as will slices of peach or  pear, or halved plums, or slices of apple, or cranberries, or whatever you like.  (If you use cranberries, sprinkle some sugar over the top).    Finally, sprinkle the rest of the nuts over the top.

Get this into the oven, at the same temperature, and bake for about 40 minutes. Use the "jiggle" test:  shake the pan and see if everything is solid.  It may very well be done at 30 minutes if you use the bigger pan, but if not, just keep it going.

Let it cool, and if you used the tart pan with the removable bottom, push the thing out, and you have gorgeous service.

This keeps for about 2 days unrefrigerated, then things get iffy, but you should have no trouble dispatching this beauty in two days.

A nice, easy all purpose custardy tart.  Few things could be better.  And if you made the chicken dinner Annalena posted yesterday, you are well on your way to company supper.