Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

Last week, we raised a toast to Yorkshire Day, but I didn’t get to create a dish to mark the occasion, so this week I’m making up for it by sweetening things up for National Raspberry Tart Day on Monday.

It feels fitting to hijack this day for a late celebration of God’s Own County. After all, few things better capture the essence of a glorious late summer’s day in Yorkshire than a punnet of freshly picked raspberries, warm from the sun and bursting with tangy sweetness.

Growing up in Nigeria, tart fruits like tangerine, agbalumo (African star apple) and tamarind made regular appearances in my childhood snacking habits. They taught me to love the interplay between sweet and sharp. Now, here in Yorkshire, raspberries are the perfect reminders of that flavour combination; little rubies I turn to when I want something fresh and vibrant.

The only thing I find a bit frustrating is how easily raspberries spoil or get bruised.

So, how do we create a tart worthy of celebrating the county? We create a Raspberry and Hibiscus Brown Butter Tart, full of texture, depth, and flavour wrapped up in a dish worthy of a Yorkshire tea table, but just bold enough to reflect a more global flavour story.

Why Brown Butter?

Brown butter – aka beurre noisette if we’re feeling posh – takes your tart from predictable to sublime. By cooking the butter until the milk solids caramelise and release nutty, toffee-like notes, you add a layer of richness and complexity that cold butter can’t give you. It’s a flavour bridge: grounding the tartness of raspberries while elevating their perfume.

The Hibiscus Twist

Hibiscus and raspberries are complimentary flavours; both are tangy, floral, and just a little wild. A hibiscus gel adds both elegance and intrigue. It can give your tart an unexpected sharpness and a visual drama that’s bold and refined.

Hibiscus is also packed with antioxidants, can help lower blood pressure, and aids digestion. Who says indulgence can’t come with benefits?

Flavours that pair well with raspberries

To elevate this tart, try adding a complementary spice:

• Cardamom – a gentle, citrusy warmth that adds fragrance without stealing the show.

• Long pepper – slightly floral and spicy, it accentuates the berries’ natural perfume.

• Pink peppercorns – not technically pepper, but these bring a sweet heat that enhances fruit beautifully. For my tart, I added some pink peppercorn to the tart shell.

• A touch of lemon, orange zest or even sumac (if you’re leaning towards Middle Eastern) would also work.

Here is a recipe if you want to give this a go.

Raspberry & Hibiscus Brown Butter Tart

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 100g plain flour

• 15g ground almonds

• ½ tsp ground pink peppercorns

• 40g icing sugar

• 60g unsalted butter, if using brown butter, place back in fridge to solidify

• 20g of egg (or 1 medium egg yolk)

• pinch of salt

For the pastry cream (crème patissiere) filling:

• 500ml whole milk

• 100g caster sugar

• 1 vanilla bean (split and scrape the beans)

• 100g eggs

• 50g butter

• 25g cornflour

• 25g plain flour

• 2tbs hibiscus powder (optional – you can opt for lemon zest)

• 250g fresh raspberries (to finish the tart)

For the hibiscus gel:

• 1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers

• 150ml water

• 2 tbsp caster sugar (adjust to taste)

• ½ tsp agar agar or 1 gelatine leaf

• Optional: touch of lemon juice for extra zing

Method:

1. Make the pastry: I used the creaming method

Whisk the butter using a dough beater until light and creamy; add the almond flour, icing sugar and salt before whisking until combined. Add the egg and continue to whisk. Finally, add the flour and spice (if using). Mix briefly until dough comes together. Wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes. Roll and line a perforated tart tin. If using a regular tin, use a fork to prick the dough before chilling. Once lined, place in the freezer for 30 minutes or longer.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Blind bake:

Prick the base with a fork, line with parchment and baking beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for another 15 minutes until golden. (If you don’t overwork the dough and freeze the tart before baking you can skip the blind baking.)

3. Make the filling:

Place the milk, vanilla, and 50g of sugar in a pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and add the hibiscus powder and leave to steep for a few minutes

Add the sugar and egg to a bowl; whisk until slightly thickened and lighter in colour. Add the cornflour and plain flour and whisk until fully incorporated.

Pass the milk through a very fine sieve or muslin and bring back to a boil. Once boiled, temper the egg mixture by adding a small amount of the milk whilst whisking. Keep slowly adding the milk until it’s all incorporated. Pour back into the pot and return to heat; bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Pour into a bowl and cover with a cling film; press the cling film so it makes contact with the crème pat. Leave to cool and place in fridge

4. Make the hibiscus gel:

Simmer hibiscus, water, and sugar for 10 mins. Strain, return to heat, and add agar or gelatine. Cool slightly, then blend if needed and refrigerate until set. Blitz or whisk into a gel.

5. To serve:

Pipe the crème pat into your tart case. Add a layer of raspberry jam (optional) before arranging the raspberries on the tart. Dot the hibiscus gel around the tart, and finish with edible flowers or fresh herbs like mint, lemon thyme or basil.

Celebrate With Purpose

This tart is a fusion of memory and moment. A nod to Yorkshire’s rich tradition of baking and celebration, but layered with the flavours of my past and my pantry. It’s the kind of dish that makes you pause, take a breath, and say, “Oh. That’s different.”

Cherries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries or a combination will change the narrative speaking of summer sun, of heritage, of bold choices and subtle surprises. So, what story will your tart tell?