If
you don't already own a tart pan, this recipe might have you changing that. It comes
from Lori Longbotham's book 'Luscious Berry Desserts' and the first thing
you notice about this tart is how beautiful it looks with its concentric
circles of dusty blue blueberries
sitting inside a
golden brown tart shell. What is so unusual about this tart is that it
uses both cooked and raw fruit and this combining of the two textures and
flavors is delicious.
This tart begins with a sweet pastry that is made in our food processor.
But, unlike other recipes that call for chilling and rolling the pastry,
we skip these steps and just pat the pastry into the tart pan. It is then
placed in the
refrigerator to chill while we make our blueberry topping. The topping is in two
stages; the first part is combining blueberries with sugar and a little
flour. This mixture is placed in the unbaked tart shell and the tart is
baked until the pastry is golden brown and the blueberries have become
soft like jam. Once the tart is removed from the oven, the next step is to place concentric circles of raw
blueberries, crown side up, on top of the warm blueberry jam. I digress,
but did you know that blueberries were once called 'star' berries because
of their star-shaped crowns. Serve this tart at room temperature with
softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Blueberries are native to North America which means if you live in the
right place 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.
Pastry: In your food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process
until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse
meal (about 15 seconds). In a small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla. Then
gradually pour in a steady stream, with the motor running,
through the feed tube until the pastry just holds together when pinched. Add
water, if necessary. Do not process more than about 30 seconds.
Transfer the pastry to an 11
inch (28 cm) fluted tart pan, and press evenly over the bottom and up the sides
of the pan. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the blueberry
topping.
Preheat the oven to 425 degree
F (220 degree C).
In a large bowl combine the
sugar and flour. Add 2 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries and toss to coat. Remove
the chilled pastry from the refrigerator and evenly pour in the blueberries and
sugar/flour mixture. Place the tart pan on a large baking sheet 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 (about 30 - 35 minutes).
(Halfway through the baking time, stir the berries if there is any flour on
them.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Top with the remaining 2 1/2
cups of blueberries (crown side up), pressing them gently into the hot blueberry jam. I like to
make concentric circles with the blueberries, starting at the outside edge. Let
the tart cool to room temperature before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and
serve with softly whipped cream or ice cream. Cover and store leftovers in the
refrigerator.
Makes one - 11
inch (28 cm) tart.
Sources:
Longbotham, Lori.
'Luscious Berry Desserts'. Chronicle Books. San Francisco: 2006.
Pastry:
1 1/2 cups (210 grams)
all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
2 tablespoon (25 grams)
granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams)
unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
1 - 2 tablespoons ice
water
Filling:
2 1/2 cups fresh
blueberries
1/4 cup (50 grams)
granulated white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons (20
grams) all purpose flour
Garnish:
2 1/2 cups fresh
blueberries
Confectioners (powdered
or icing) sugar
s
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