The Mixing Bowl: Brown Butter Berry Tart by Saelee Oh

Good morning! It’s a warm and sunshiny day here, so I thought it would be nice to start the morning with a delicious seasonal recipe and some cheery, colorful images. Saelee Oh's recipe and gorgeous artwork certainly fits the bill on both accounts! I don't know about you, but I have been dreaming about fresh raspberries for weeks now, so I thought it was the perfect time to post Saelee's recipe for Brown Butter Berry Tart. I hope it inspires you to make something sweet and sunny this weekend. Happy (early) Spring!



Saelee Oh is an illustrator, painter, and paper cut artist, who uses mixed media to create wonderful and whimsical worlds filled with animals, nature, and magic. Her beautiful and distinctive work has been exhibited around the world in cities like Los Angeles, Tokyo, and New York and has been featured in magazines like Juxtapoz and Giant Robot, as well as on wall graphics, t-shirts, and iphone cases. She also finds time to create a lovely calendar each year with fellow artist Jill Bliss that I just LOVE.

For more of Saelee's work, check out her Web site and online shop, right here. Thanks, Saelee! More pics and the complete recipe after the jump.



Brown Butter Berry Tart, adapted from bon appetit

Ingredients

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

filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
2 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries and/or blackberries


Preperation: crust
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto sides and bottom of pan.

Bake crust until golden, about 18 minutes (crust will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.


filling
Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Cook butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

Arrange berries, pointed side up and close together in concentric circles, in bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over berries. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake tart until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature. Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Test-Kitchen Tip: When browning butter, use a saucepan with a light-colored bottom so that you can gauge the color of the butter.