The Way to My Heart: Raspberry Tarts

I never thought that I would ever say this - but I have found a French pastry that beats any Nutella and banana crêpe, croissant, or macaroon that I have ever ate. I would absolutely consider myself a sweet over savory person, especially when it comes to dessert, hence why I will almost never refuse the above mentioned foods. So I was especially surprised when I loved the raspberry tart as much as I did. 

This French pastry is the perfect combination between salty and sweet and the best part about this treat is how indescribably light it is! I would always see the cute pink tarts with white sparkly sugar sprinkled on top in the glass display cases whenever I would stop at a pâtisserie, but I would always be hesitant to buy one because my eye would catch something buttery instead - like a croissant. The first tart I had upon my arrival here was an apricot tart. It was delicious but the texture of the apricots were notably gooey and it overall lacked pretty much any apricot taste so it was not anything to call home about. Plus, I always had a sweet tooth to feed so it was difficult to change my mind. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

The first raspberry tart I had was with my family when they visited. We just finished dinner and went back to their apartment to enjoy the pastries that my mother and aunt picked up that morning. The desserts came wrapped in neon pink boxes complete with a bow on top. They all looked like gifts. As I opened each box, I found everything from an apple tart to a caramel cake that looked like an overgrown Hershey Kiss, a cream puff, a Napoleon, and one raspberry tart. I am not sure if the indescribable smell of the desserts or the looks of them were better. Each pastry was so perfectly shaped and manicured, but the scent that emerged as the boxes were opened was to die for. 

My eyes immediately locked in on the tart. I have always wanted to try one, but again, I was always hesitant. I did not want to be disappointed. I cut a little triangle-shaped piece off, picked it up between two fingers, and popped it into my mouth. Upon my teeth sinking into the bite-sized piece, my teeth first went through the most fresh, tasty, and juicy raspberries that were complimented by the sprinkle of sugar on top of them. As my bite continued, my teeth sunk down into the cheesecake-like cream that glued the raspberries down, and just after that my bite finished when it bit through a thin, freshly baked, crust. 

The texture of the tart was a mix between soft and crunchy. Neither feature overtook the other, in fact the combination was incredibly complementary. It was almost refreshing to have a thin crust "crunch" after indulging into the softness and coolness of the raspberries. 

After eating the raspberry tart, and obviously raving about it to my surrounding family members, I went back into the boxes to find more options. Although all of the pastries looked absolutely delicious, and from what my family of total foodies said about them, everything was decadent. I, however, could not bring myself to trying another dessert because I was so incredibly content. 

The ultimate question remains, do raspberry tarts top my all time favorite dessert, ice cream cake? As of now, I cannot say they do, but they are definitely a close second!