Published November 1, 2005.
For a linzertorte recipe that would be as good-looking as it was good to eat, our first challenge was figuring out how to keep the fragile dough from cracking and splitting while lining the tart pan. We developed an unorthodox method to deal with the problem, prebaking only the bottom crust and then using the remaining dough to line the sides of the tart pan. We wanted a decorative basket-weave for our linzertorte recipe, but found that the dough was too tender to weave into lattice strips; we achieved the same effect by placing strips one by one in a precise order over the tart.
Study the instructions before laying down the first lattice strip; once the dough softens, it becomes difficult to work with. In addition, the strips cannot be repositioned once they have been put in place because of the stickiness of the raspberry filling. If, while you are trying to form the lattice, the strips become too soft to work with, rechill them until firm. If strips tear or crack, simply piece them together as you form the lattice--any breaks will become almost unnoticeable once the tart is baked. Lightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with kirsch or framboise instead of vanilla is the traditional accompaniment. The tart keeps well for a day or so.
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