A few months ago I read a book that’s been on my TBR for quite a while: A FELLOWSHIP OF BAKERS & MAGIC by J. Penner. It was such a fun, light read! It’s set in a high-fantasy world with elves and magic and tells the story of Arleta, a human baker who competes in a Great British Bake Off-style competition called the Langheim Baking Battle.

If you like cozy high fantasy, food-focused fiction, and romantic subplots, this book is for you. I was so enamored with all the delicious-sounding bakes in the book, I decided to make a menu for it! The back of the book contains recipes for some of Arleta’s competition bakes from the story (namely Earl Grey Cherry Scones, Lemon Bars with Cardamom Shortbread Crust, and Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies). My menu will be based around bakes that don’t have recipes included in the book but are still important to the story—starting with the raspberry basil tart!

In the story, Arleta is initially too nervous to enter the Langheim Baking Battle, convinced that her lack of magic will make her bakes seem lackluster next to those of the other competitors. Instead, her neighbor Verdreth secretly submits one of her raspberry basil tarts in the qualifying round on her behalf. Adding traditionally savory herbs to her desserts is Arleta’s trademark, so I felt that this would be the perfect dish to start the menu.

I started with my go-to pie crust, par-baked to prevent a soggy bottom. Then I made the egg-free raspberry curd from my cookbook, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, adding basil leaves in the first step so they could infuse their flavors into the raspberries. This uses a LOT of basil, since the leaves get strained out in the first step after infusing most of their oils into the cooked raspberries. It adds a subtle herbal note to the curd, which you can strengthen by adding some fresh, small basil leaves as a garnish if desired.

 A

Raspberry Basil Tart

“Unfazed, the elf scanned down the list before plunking her slender finger on Arleta’s name.
‘Ooh! I see you entered a basil raspberry tart in the qualifying round. How delightful!’
Arleta hadn’t entered anything. That was all Verdreth’s doing, but she found herself nodding along . . .
Viessa smiled and looked up, “Clearly the entry was a hit with the judges, since it earned you a spot!'”

— A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Makes 1 6″x14″ raspberry basil tart

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. FOR THE CURD. Add the raspberries, large basil leaves, and lemon juice to a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons water and cook for 15 minutes, stirring regularly and taking care to crush the basil leaves as much as possible to encourage them to release their oils. Strain the mix, pressing the fruit through the strainer with a spoon to be sure to get all the juice out. Scrape the bottom of the strainer as well. Discard the waste inside the strainer.
2. NOTE: This makes a lot of curd, so you may want to strain it in 2 batches.
3. Return the strained raspberry mix to heat and mix in the sugar and butter until dissolved. Turn the heat to medium and bring the mix to a boil, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the raspberry mix and heat 2-3 minutes, whisking continuously. It will thicken slightly.
4. Transfer to a heat safe bowl and top with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap doesn’t touch the hot curd. Allow the curd to cool for 15 minutes on the counter, then chill 2 hours or until completely cool. Chill until ready to use.
5. FOR THE CRUST. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mix has a texture like breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces scattered throughout. Work in 1/4 cup ice water. Continue to work in the remainder of the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mix comes together and is damp but not wet (you might not use all the water).
6. Shape the dough into a 5-inch disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour until firm but not hard.
7. Preheat oven to 375°. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into an 8″x16″ rectangle. Use dough to line a 6″x14″ tart pan. Trim edges to fit. Prick the bottom of the tart several times with a fork. Line the inside of the crust with parchment paper and weigh it down with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice (the beans and rice will still be perfectly good to use afterward in other recipes). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and set aside. Spread the curd evenly into the tart shell and bake for 2-3 more minutes, just until the curd is set. Allow to come to room temperature before removing from the pan.
9. Garnish with fresh basil and serve to the judges at the Langheim Baking Battle!
   

A

A

If you like this raspberry recipe,
you can check out the Raspberry Cordial Italian Soda
in my cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC!