Raspberry Lunettes with Almond Cream Filling

Raspberry Lunettes with Almond Cream Filling 🍇✨

These elegant raspberry lunettes bring together everything we love about classic French pâtisserie—buttery sweet dough, a velvety almond cream, and a bright layer of homemade raspberry preserves. The signature cut-out top adds a charming artisanal touch, turning each petite tart into a showpiece that feels right at home in any French bakery.

What Makes These Lunettes Special 💕

Delicate yet flavour-packed, these lunettes combine textures that contrast beautifully: crisp almond-rich pastry shells, silky almond cream that puffs lightly when baked, and fruity raspberry compote that settles into a jewel-bright centre. The flavours are simple, honest and deeply comforting—perfect with tea, coffee or as part of a dessert platter.

Using ground almonds in both the dough and cream adds richness without heaviness, while the pectin-set raspberry preserves keep the filling vibrant and stable. They’re visually stunning and wonderfully balanced—not too sweet, with the raspberries bringing the perfect acidity.

Working With Sweet Almond Dough 🥣

The sweet dough is intentionally soft and pliable, ensuring a melt-in-the-mouth texture after baking. Chilling between steps helps maintain its structure, especially when cutting and shaping the smiley-style lids. Rolling the dough thinly is key to achieving the airy delicateness characteristic of French lunettes.

Almond Cream, the Classic French Filling 🌰

Almond cream—or crème d’amande—is a French pastry staple. Here, it adds moisture, flavour and a subtle richness that elevates the lunettes beyond a simple jam tart. Once baked, it becomes tender and just slightly puffed, creating a perfect base for the raspberry preserves.

Raspberry Preserves: Bright, Tangy & Homemade 🍓

Making your own raspberry preserves gives this dessert its signature flavour. Pectin NH ensures a soft yet sliceable set, allowing the filling to sit neatly under the pastry lid. The fresh lemon juice keeps the flavour lifted and fresh.

Assembly Tips for Perfect Lunettes 🧁

• Use pastry rings to keep the tart shells perfectly round.
• Chill the cut-out lids before placing them on top to retain clean shapes.
• Dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving for a bakery-style finish.

Serving & Enjoying 🍽️

These lunettes taste best slightly warm or at room temperature, when the almond cream is tender and the raspberry centre glistens. Enjoy them with an afternoon tea, bring them to a gathering, or wrap them individually for a thoughtful edible gift.

Make-Ahead & Storage ⏳

The components are ideal for preparing ahead—dough, almond cream and preserves keep beautifully in the fridge. Bake them on the day you plan to serve for the most delicate texture and prettiest finish.