A Happy Accident - Brown Butter Raspberry Tart

There's something fishy about this Bay Area weather. So far this week it has paled in comparison to Portland weather. Almost unheard of. 80+ degrees most of last week in P-town, but not in San Francisco. Nope. This morning I awoke to thunder and pouring rain (happily that was around 6am, so I nodded right back off). It cleared up later, but only to a paltry 70 degrees.

Just when summer has arrived everywhere else, the Bay Area cools off and is swaddled in thick fog throughout the day. This is the time of year when you see the tourists (expecting the California sun) shivering in shorts and tank tops on Pier 39, begging the vendors for a windbreaker or sweatshirt.

And tomorrow will bring even more rain. Le sigh. For now I'll transport myself back to Portland (land of sun?) and my Parent's gorgeous patio, which hosted Monday night's dinner of grilled salmon, balsamic asparagus, Cesar potato salad, crusty bread from Pearl Bakery, good wine and one of the best desserts I've ever had.

I'm not exaggerating about that last part. Everyone was in agreement. I can only suggest that you try this out at your next dinner party or gathering. Pretend it took an entire day of preparation. They'll be so impressed.

A happy accident in my adaptation of this recipe. I didn't mean to pour all the ingredients in before cooking the tart crust, the original recipe calls for baking it in the oven for 18 minutes before adding the berries and filling. I just forgot. My niece Pearl had placed the berries so beautifully in the pan, and I got excited and just piled it all together and shoved it in the oven. And guess what? It turned out perfectly. So I'm omitting that part. Feel free to add it back in, but if you'd care to save some time, you can repeat my "mistake."

Brown Butter & Raspberry Tart
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
serves 8-10

Crust
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Filling
1/2 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
2 6ounce containers of fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the four and salt and stir until well combined. Press the dough into a 9 inch tart pan making sure that it is even on the sides and bottom of the pan. Arrange raspberries, pointed side up and close together in concentric circles, in bottom of the crust.

Nest, whisk the sugar, eggs, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Add flour and vanilla and whisk together until smooth. Cook the butter in heavy small saucepan with a light colored bottom over medium heat until deep nutty brown, being careful not to burn it. Keep and eye and stir often, about 6 minutes. Pour the browned butter into glass measuring cup. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture until well blended.

Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over berries into the tart. Put on the center rack in the oven and bake tart until filling is puffed and golden and a knife into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack.