ASK MARTHA\Give heart tart for smart start to Valentine's Day.

Byline: Martha Stewart 

I've always been fascinated with the many legends surrounding the celebration of St. Valentine's Day. The most popular holds that it began centuries ago to honor a Roman priest named Valentine who was jailed and then killed for refusing to denounce Christianity.

The night before his execution, Valentine sent a note to his jailer's daughter, thanking her for the food, affection and steadfast belief in his religion she had shown during his confinement.

This great tragedy has somehow been transformed into a day of celebrating love, passion and romance. Today, these emotions are expressed through the delivery of more lighthearted notes and cards as well as gifts.

Since the heart has traditionally been associated with this day for lovers, why not create a special heart-shaped dessert for your Valentine?

If you have heart-shaped pans, cookie cutters or molds, it's easy to do. One of my favorite desserts is the heart-shaped tart, which can be filled with a variety of mouthwatering concoctions.

Here's my recipe for Red Raspberry Tart, guaranteed to please.

RED RASPBERRY TART CRUST

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

All ingredients should be cold. Put flour, salt and sugar in a bowl of a food processor. Add butter and process about 10 seconds, or just until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add ice water, drop by drop, through feed tube with processor running, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. (Don't process more than 30 seconds.) Test dough by squeezing small amount together. If it's crumbly, add a bit more water.

Turn half of dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Grasping ends of plastic wrap with your hands, cover dough with plastic wrap and press into a flat circle with your fists. Repeat process with other half.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.

Lightly butter (or spray with vegetable cooking spray) an 8-inch heart-shaped tart pan.

On a lightly floured board, roll out one of pastry circles to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Place pastry in pan, which has been set on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press into bottom edges and along sides.

Trim pastry with scissors. (Or cut pastry 1 inch higher than pan's edge and tuck overhang to inside of pan for extra height and reinforcement.) Crimp edges.

Chill until ready to use.

Repeat process with second pastry circle. If making 1 tart, freeze unbaked shell for future use.

Cover pastry with foil and then carefully press foil into corners and edges to form a lining. Weight with ceramic or aluminum weights. (Or use uncooked beans or rice.)

Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 15 to 18 minutes. When pastry begins to color around edges, remove foil and weights and continue baking until pastry turns deep amber color.

Cool completely before filling.

Makes 2 (8- to 10-inch) tarts.

RED RASPBERRY TART FILLING

1 pint heavy whipping cream 

1/3 cup Quince Syrup (recipe follows)

3 pints fresh red raspberries

1/4 cup Quince Jelly, melted and cooled slightly (recipe follows)

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add syrup and whip until stiff. Spread cream evenly in tart shell.

Carefully arrange half of raspberries on top of cream. Make a neat second layer with remaining berries.

Lightly glaze berries with melted Quince Jelly.

Serve immediately.

QUINCE JELLY

4 cups stemmed and seeded quinces, cut up

Water

Sugar

Cook quinces with enough water to cover, until very soft. Pour into a jelly bag (or a fine linen dishcloth). Let juice drip through without squeezing or pressing.

To each cup of juice, add 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and, while keeping at a full rolling boil, skim off any scum. Cook until jelly coats a metal spoon.

Store in covered jars in refrigerator.

Makes about 2 pints.

QUINCE SYRUP

Proceed as for jelly, but cook juice only until liquid begins to thicken. Mixture should remain liquid and should not jell.