Bangor - Things are about to get berry busy at a Bangor bakery.

A summertime favorite is finally here.


At Frank's Bakery in Bangor, they've been keeping a bit of a secret this year.

" Raspberries are just not cooperating this year, so we've had to be a little more cautious about letting people know," said Bernadette Gaspar, owner of the bakery.

The secret's out now, the tarts have arrived.

" We sell close to 5,000 raspberry tarts in a season," said Gaspar.

Bernadette Gaspar is known as the tart queen.

" When you're doing a number of tarts, boy, you just need to be on your toes," explained Gaspar.

She's a pro at making the sweet treats. A cookie shell, a quick spread of cream cheese, a few berries, and the magic filling all combine to make the tarts.

" And then, I just go around the edges, and voila, that's it," said Gaspar, while showing us how she makes her popular raspberry tarts.

People dash to the store from across the state just to get a taste of the sweet dessert.

" Sometimes I'll say, just wait, in another hour, I'll have some," said Gaspar, with a smile.

It hasn't been the best season for the main ingredient, which means there's probably not going to be as many raspberry tarts this year.

" Last year at this time we made over 3,000 tarts. This year it's over 1,000 of the raspberry," explained Gaspar.

If you haven't tried one, and you're a bit skeptical, the tart queen gives a pretty good description of what you're missing.

" Burst of sunshine in your mouth!"

Now that the secret is out, you better hurry. Raspberry tarts tend to disappear even faster than Bernadette and her crew whip them up.

There are other tart flavors available too, like blueberry and strawberry.

It's suggested that you call before heading to the bakery for tarts, that way you'll know if there are any left.

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