If you don't have a tart
ring (or pan), this recipe might have you changing that. The first thing
you will notice about this Blueberry Tart is how beautiful it looks with
its concentric circles of fresh blueberries sitting on top of a cooked
blueberry filling.
This tart begins with a sweet pastry crust
which has a nice subtle almond flavor. It's easy to make and easy to roll
out. The blueberry filling is similar to the filling used for a blueberry
pie. Just mix a little cornstarch (to thicken its juices) with sugar (for
sweetness), lemon juice and lemon zest. This mixture is placed in the unbaked tart shell and
baked until the pastry is golden brown and the blueberries have broken
down and become
soft, almost like jam. Once the tart is removed from the oven, the next step is to place concentric circles of raw
fresh blueberries, crown side up, on top of the warm blueberry filling. I digress,
but did you know that blueberries were once called 'star' berries because
of their star-shaped crowns. This tart is excellent warm, at room
temperature, or even cold.
Blueberries are native to North America which means, if
you live where they grow, you may be able to pick your own. For the rest of us there are
cultivated berries which are much larger in size and lighter in color.
Both types are wonderfully sweet with just a touch of tartness. If taste
isn't enough to get you to eat these berries, their health benefits will;
rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, high in potassium, and low in sodium.
When buying blueberries, look for firm, plump, fragrant, dark blue berries
with a dusty white bloom. The white bloom is the blueberry's natural protection against the
sun and is a sign of freshness. Always check the underside of the
container for any wet spots or staining. Discard any soft, moldy, or
crushed berries.
Sweet Almond Pastry:Sift the flour with the
almond meal, confectioners sugar, baking powder, and salt. Place in
the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle
attachment. (Can also use a hand mixer). Add the chunks of cold butter
and beat on medium low speed until the mixture is mealy (grainy with
no visible pieces of butter). Add the cold egg yolks and seeds from
the vanilla bean (if using) and beat on low speed until the dough
comes together (pastry will be yellow in color).
Place
the pastry onto your work surface, gather it into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least six hours (the pastry
can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for
up to three months). After the
pastry has chilled sufficiently, place on
a lightly floured surface, and roll into an 11 inch (14 cm) round. (To
prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform
thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as
you roll.) Place
the round of pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator
for about 15-30 minutes (to firm up the pastry which makes it easier to
place in the tart ring).
Next, place
a 9 inch (23 cm) tart ring or pan
on a parchment lined baking sheet. Take the chilled round of pastry
and gently
place it into the tart ring or pan. Lightly
press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart ring
(pan). Never pull the pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is
caused by too much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the tart
pan). With a sharp knife cut excess pastry from top of tart ring
(pan). With the tines of a fork gently prick the bottom of the pastry.
Cover the tart ring or pan and place in the refrigerator to chill
while you preheat your oven and prepare the blueberry filling.
Preheat the oven to 400 degree
F (200 degree C).
Blueberry Filling: In a
small bowl mix together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest.
Place the blueberries in a large bowl. Add the sugar mixture to
the blueberries and gently toss to combine. Evenly
pour the mixture into the chilled
pastry and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F
(180 degrees C) and continue to bake until the pastry is golden brown and the
blueberries have become soft and jam-like (about 25-30
minutes).
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Top with the remaining blueberries (crown side up), pressing them gently into the hot blueberry
filling. I like to make concentric circles with the blueberries, starting at the
outside edge. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving. If desired,
serve with softly whipped cream or ice cream. Cover and store leftovers in the
refrigerator.
Use of materials on
all pages on the domains Joyofbaking.com,
the Joyofbaking.com Facebook
Page, the
Joyofbaking1 YouTube
Channel and any emails sent from @joyofbaking.com
are
entirely at the risk of the user and their owner, iFood Media LLC
will not be responsible for any damages directly or indirectly resulting
from the use.
References
cited may include a link to purchase the referenced book or item on Amazon.com.
Joyofbaking.com receives a commission on any purchases resulting from these
links.
This
website and the contents are not endorsed or sponsored by the owner of the
"Joy of Cooking" series of books or its publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc.
and is not related to the "Joy the Baker" books and website.
Video icons by Asher.
Content in any form may
not be copied or used without written permission of Stephanie Jaworski,
Joyofbaking.com. Students and non profit educators may use content without
permission with proper credit.
