Air Fryer Recipe
Raspberry Almond Tartlets
Sweet raspberries and nutty almonds make these little tartlets a real treat, and they cook beautifully in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- 100g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 50g ground almonds
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- 150g fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
- 50g almond flakes
- Icing sugar, to dust
Method
- Sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the chilled, diced butter. Rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground almonds and 50g of caster sugar.
- Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of cold water to the dry ingredients. Bring everything together until it forms a dough, adding a little more water if needed. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 5mm thick. Cut out circles to fit air fryer ramekins or tartlet tins. Line each one with the dough, trimming away any excess.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Spoon raspberry jam into each tartlet, arrange the raspberries on top, and scatter over the almond flakes.
- Place the tartlets in the air fryer basket and cook for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries and browns the almond-rich pastry before the raspberry juices soak it. Chilled butter creates small steam pockets for a short, crumbly texture, while minimal water limits gluten development. Jam acts as a barrier and concentrates flavour as the fruit softens.
Equipment notes
Assumes 4 small tartlets in 8-10cm metal tins or ramekins in a 5-6 litre basket with space around each for airflow. In a single-drawer model, cook in batches rather than crowding; in dual-zone machines, use the hotter, less crowded drawer and check 2 minutes early as smaller zones brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Soggy, pale bases after 15 minutes? The tins are too deep or ceramic ramekins are insulating the pastry; use shallow metal tins or add 3-5 minutes at 170°C to finish the base without scorching the almonds.
- Pastry shrinking down the sides? It was stretched while lining or not chilled enough; press it in gently, trim after lining, and chill the filled tins for 10 minutes before air frying.
- Almond flakes dark brown while the pastry is still blonde? The top heat is too aggressive; lower to 165-170°C and loosely cover the tartlets with perforated foil for the last few minutes.
- Raspberry filling bubbling over? The berries are very juicy or the jam layer is too thick; use fewer raspberries per tartlet and keep the jam to a thin smear so steam can escape.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap raspberries for sliced strawberries or blackberries; larger or wetter fruit may need 2-3 extra minutes and should be kept in a single layer.
- Use apricot jam instead of raspberry jam for a sharper glaze; it browns slightly faster because of its sugar content, so check the tops early.
- Replace almond flakes with chopped pistachios; they toast quickly, so add them halfway through if your air fryer has a strong top element.
- Make the pastry with half plain flour and half wholemeal flour; it will be more fragile and thirstier, so add water cautiously until it just comes together.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled tartlets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3-4 minutes to re-crisp the pastry.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
