- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup pecans (about 3 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 whole large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1 1/2 lemons)
- 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries (not in syrup)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar
- Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a food processor combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt and pulse until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until a dough just forms. Form dough into a flattened disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
- Press dough (about 1/3 cup for each shell) onto bottoms and up sides of eight 4 1/2-inch fluted tart pans with removable rims. Prick bottoms of shells all over with a fork. Freeze shells 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange shells in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven 18 minutes, or until golden. Cool shells in pans on a rack. Shells may be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
- In a heavy saucepan combine butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and remove pan from heat. In a bowl whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until thick and pale. Add hot butter mixture in a stream, whisking constantly, and transfer to pan. Cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thick and just beginning to boil. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl and stir in zest. Cool lemon mixture completely, its surface covered with buttered wax paper, and chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
- In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together mascarpone and cream until thick and smooth. Fold in 1 1/2 cups lemon mixture, reserving remainder for another use, until combined well.
- Divide filling among shells, smoothing tops. Chill tarts, loosely covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
- In a blender puree sauce ingredients and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids.
- Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon superfine sugar evenly over each tart and caramelize with a blowtorch, moving flame evenly back and forth over sugar (not crust) until melted and caramelized, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, caramelize sugar under a preheated broiler. If using broiler, cover crusts with pieces of foil to prevent burning.)
- Serve tarts with raspberry sauce.