Runeberg’s tart is a Finnish pastry seasoned with almonds and rum. These delicious tarts are served with raspberry jam in a sugar ring on the tart. The tart got its name from the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804-1877) who, according to the legend, enjoyed the tart with punsch. Runeberg’s tarts are typically served only in Finland and are generally available from the beginning of January to Runeberg’s birthday on February 5.

Runeberg’s Tarts

Batter

• 1 egg
• ¼ dl sugar
• ½ dl brown sugar
• 100 g butter
• ½ dl cream
• 2 dl flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50 g ground almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar
• few drops of almond liqueur

Syrup to moisten the tarts

• 1 dl water
• 1 dl punch
• 2 tbs sugar

Topping

• thick raspberry jam
• 1 dl powder sugar
• ½ tbs water

Whip the soft butter and sugars well together. Whip cream until it’s light. Add egg, cream and liqueur into the butter-sugar foam. Mix together dry ingredients and fold them softly into the batter. Slightly butter 8 small cylindrical moulds and fill them with batter. Place moulds on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees C for 20-30 minutes. For the syrup, bring water, punch and sugar into a boil and then set aside. When tarts are ready, drizzle them with warm syrup. Let them absorb the syrup for at least an hour. Remove tarts gently from the moulds. Cut out a little piece from the tops, if the tarts aren’t even. With a spoon make little holes on the top of the tarts and fill them with raspberry jam. Let the tarts set in the fridge. Make a thick icing from powder sugar and water and pipe it around the raspberry jam on the top of each tart. Let the icing set and then serve with a cup of coffee or tea.