Raspberry Torte

I started dating my husband during the beginning of our Junior year of college. The first time he brought me home to meet his parents, he did it by asking if I wanted to go apple picking. Turns out, his parents had a HUGE garden and well over a dozen fruit trees. He was asking me to pick apples at their house! But all of that produce that they grew (and continue to grow) leads to some delicious recipes being made in their kitchen, including raspberry torte. 

My mother in law is notorious for ALWAYS having an option for dessert. Not just a piece of chocolate. There will always be a pie, a torte, cookies, something sweet to eat after both lunch and dinner. I, for one, am not complaining. 

One of the favorites is her black raspberry torte and they grow an impressive amount of berries. Now we grow them, but not near as many. I also prefer red raspberries and we grow and preserve a lot of them. So I thought, “How does this torte translate into a red raspberry torte?” 

That answer: It translates so well! And my family would say it gets better over a few days as the filling gets to rest. The first time I made it, the Mr gave me a sly eye and said, “It’s good. I think you definitely need to practice and make another one,” with a large large grin on his face!

So this is my take (just a few tweaks) on my mother in law’s raspberry torte. I hope you enjoy it as much as everyone has in my husband’s family! 

Your Ingredients for Raspberry Torte

Crust

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 
  • 4 ounces cool whip 
  • 5 cups red raspberries, measured from frozen
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup sugar 
  • 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • ⅓ cup cold water 

Your Steps  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, cream butter. Prepare the crust by adding the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cream until well combined. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes. 

Allow the crust to cool. Once cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. 

In a medium sauce pan, combine the raspberries, sugar,  and lemon zest and juice. Cook until broken down and a smooth-ish sauce is made. That is, the raspberries should have mostly broken down. In a small dish, combine the cold water and cornstarch. Stir into the raspberries over a med-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the berries have thickened, about 4 minutes. 

Allow the berry mixture to cool. Then spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Now, I would eat it almost immediately. My family said it got better a few days later, but I will let you be the judge! 

Also, if you want to modify the amount of sugar added to the berries you absolutely can. Give them a taste before you add the cornstarch and water slurry and see if you want to add more. You can also add a little less, but I think ½ cup is the sweet spot, personally.

Raspberry Torte

Make this easy raspberry torte with a buttery crust, cream cheese filling, and raspberry topping. A tasty treat from Jess in the Kitchen.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1 stick butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 ounces cool whip
  • 5 cups red raspberries measured from frozen
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • cup cold water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan.
  • In a medium bowl, cream butter. Prepare the crust by adding the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cream until well combined.
  • Press into the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  • Allow the crust to cool.
  • Once cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust.
  • In a medium sauce pan, combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon zest and juice.
  • Cook until broken down and a smooth-ish sauce is made. That is, the raspberries should have mostly broken down.
  • In a small dish, combine the cold water and cornstarch.
  • Stir into the raspberries over a med-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the berries have thickened, about 4 minutes.
  • Allow the berry mixture to cool. Then spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Serve immediately or keep chilled.

Notes

If you want to modify the amount of sugar added to the berries you absolutely can. Give them a taste before you add the cornstarch and water slurry and see if you want to add more. You can also add a little less, but I think ½ cup is the sweet spot, personally.
Keyword cream cheese, dessert, desserts, raspberries, Raspberry, raspberry torte, torte, tortes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats?

Give some of these a try! Or you can always check out my baking page!

Kolachkes

If you hang around with me on Instagram, you may know that I participate in a collaboration with a number of foodie friends that has us exploring the cookbooks on our shelves each month. There are no rules besides trying three recipes each month that we haven’t made before in the many cookbooks we own. This month, I chose a WE Energies cookbook and gave Kolachkes a try! 

First, the WE energies cookie book. I don’t know about other states, but in Wisconsin, WE Energies has been creating a cookie book every year since 1928. It is distributed primarily in southern Wisconsin but you can also find digital copies (Check out the archives here!). I fondly remember looking through my mom’s editions as a kid and recognized the covers in the archives. 

Now for the Kolachkes. After doing some research, I was able to learn that these cookies are Polish or Czech, and are a traditional Christmas cookie. I was drawn to the cookie as it sounded like a simple shortbread like cookie (with the addition of cream cheese) and had a jam added. Many years ago, I tried a thumbprint cookie recipe and it didn’t go well. I figured this was my chance to redeem myself. 

I did change the recipe just a bit, by sweetening up the dough just a bit before I baked it and I think you will LOVE it. Please give these tasty morsels a try! 

Your Ingredients 

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1/2 cup preserves, I used black raspberry
  • ⅓  cup powdered sugar
  • Additional powdered sugar

Your Steps to Kolachkes

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cream butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Blend in 2 cups of flour and salt. Then work in remaining ¼  cup flour to form a smooth dough. 

Divide the dough in half and roll half of it 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 in squares or circles. Make a slight indent in the center and fill with scant 1/2 teaspoon preserves. 

Finish shaping squares or circles by tightly pinching opposite ends together. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with the second half. 

Bake for 12-17 minutes. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. I used a fine mesh strainer for this and it worked great!

These were incredibly simple and so good! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did! 

Tools of the trade

I haven’t added a “tools of the trade” segment to a blog post for a while, but I have to share my absolute favorite baking sheets. These guys are only used for cookies and other sweet treats and they are a favorite present from years past. Also! Dusting with powdered sugar was exponentially easier using my fine strainer. We use it for so many things: straining our maple syrup, rinsing canned beans, you name it. A tool that makes your life much easier, to be sure.

Finished Kolachkes

Kolachkes

Light, buttery, and sweet with a topping of fruit preserves, these Eastern European kolachkes are a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American, Czech, Polish
Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 3 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1/2 cup preserves I used black raspberry
  • cup powdered sugar
  • Additional powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cream butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Blend in 2 cups of flour and salt. Then work in remaining ¼ cup flour to form a smooth dough.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll half of it 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 in squares or circles. Make a slight indent in the center and fill with scant 1/2 teaspoon preserves.
  • Finish shaping squares or circles by tightly pinching opposite ends together. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with the second half.
  • Bake for 12-17 minutes. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.
Keyword black raspberry, Cookies, fruit preserves, kolachkes, kolachky, pastries, Polish kolachky, Shortbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats?

Give some of these a try or check out my baking page for more inspiration!