Charlottes, eclaires, tartes, sorbets, crumbles and everything Raspberry

I dropped by the Farmer’s Market last weekend and saw tables crammed with raspberries.

Raspberries are my favorite dessert berries.

They are especially refreshing in the summertime.  Raspberry-rhubarb crumble showing up on the menu signals the season.

This raspberry infatuation started in France.

There, I gazed and marvelled everyday at the beautiful tiny cakes displayed on patisserie windows.  I could never choose what’s the prettiest or what to try first.  But I especially adored the ones with raspberries sitting daintily on top.  Finally, I went in and picked a charlotte aux framboises.  And never looked back.  I couldn’t get enough of the light, creamy, refreshing cake.   Since then, without fail, I would drop by the village patisserie to get one.  I would rush home so I could start eating.  But I end up nibbling on my jewel of a cake while walking through the park, more often than not.  

It became my end-of-the-day-walking-home treat.

In Paris, our usual after-dinner “sweets” at home was a bowl of simple fromage blanc with confiture de framboise.

Here in New York, I add a dollop of raspberry jam to greek yogurt, which works just as well.

I get more of my raspberry fix  from Financier with their tarte chocolat – framboise…

and their fabulous chocolate raspberry eclairs…

…which Serious Eats described as choux pastry “split open and lined with custard, dotted with fresh raspberries and finished with a whirl of thick whipped, lightly sweetened cream. Finally, a scatter of toasty slivered almonds. Meant to be eaten in hand—but it can get awfully messy, so proceed with caution. The rewards are delicious.”  

They are very much, indeed.

For a summer cooler, nothing beats Berthillon’s framboise sorbet.  So tart and intense.  Pure raspberry essence in ice and cone.

But that shall have to wait til my next trip to Paris.

In the meantime, here in my beautiful Brooklyn neighborhood, I settle for the Berry Crumble ice cream (paired with Salted Caramel ice cream and pretzels) from General Greene that’s a perfect pick-me-up on sweltering days.

I love raspberries!

xxx