Blueberry & Almond Tart
:: Megann’s Kitchen ::
:: beautiful blueberry & almond tart with fresh berries & creme fraiche :: |
Whenever I am homesick I seem to
crave recipes made with blueberries. You see, I grew up with an amazing blueberry
patch on our family farm & it was like a sanctuary for me. Whenever I
wanted, I would roam aimlessly through the rows upon rows of blueberries. I would lie under the
branches, looking up at the sky & let my imagination take over. I would
even play there with friends, having blueberry fights – squishing the berries to
feel them ooze between our fingers before pelting the mess at an unsuspecting
victim. Yes, these were incredibly wholesome blueberry memories of my childhood
filled with pure joy.
I have now made this tart many times. The frangipane cream can be
a vehicle for any fruit of the season – but in season or not, a blueberry
filling is my ultimate favourite.
to start
1 quantity of sweet shortcrust pastry
basic frangipane cream (GF)
125g good quality unsalted butter, softened
150g castor sugar
1
tsp of vanilla bean paste or seeds of
1 vanilla bean
2
large eggs
200g
almond meal
fruit
250g
blueberries (2 punnets)
:: gently smooth over the top & sprinkle with blueberries :: |
:: bake until evenly golden brown & cooked through :: |
Preheat
oven to180°C
(350°F). Line
a 24 cm loose-bottomed tart pan with pastry following the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry instructions, then bake blind at 180°C
(350°F)
for
10 minutes. Remove pastry weights & parchment
paper then bake for another 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove.
While
the pastry is blind baking, place butter,
sugar & vanilla in an electric mixer (I use my ever trusty KitchenAid)
& beat until butter mixture is light & creamy. Add eggs one at a time & make sure they are fully incorporated
before you add the next. Finish by adding the almond meal & mix through.
Sprinkle
half of the blueberries on the pastry base. Spoon the thick Frangipane Cream
evenly over the top of the berries, smoothing out the top when finished.
Scatter the remainder of the blueberries over the top of the almond mixture,
pushing slightly into the batter.
Bake
for 35-45 minutes until it has turned a golden brown on
top. Cool in tin for at least 30 minutes before serving
:: serve on a breadboard for a rustic & homestyle feel :: |
:: this recipe can be made with any sweet fruit - this is a cherry tart :: |
Kitchen
Notes
::
The
Frangipane cream is quite thick, so be mindful of placing it where you want it, then smooth over the top.
::
A
way to test if the almond Frangipane Mixture is cooked through is to simply
press on the top when it looks golden. If it feels firm and springs back, then
it is ready. If your finger leaves an indentation & breaks the surface, pop
it back in the oven for another 5
minutes
& check again.
::
All
is not lost if not cooked through. I accidently did this once & quickly
placed it back in the oven for another 10 minutes & it was beautiful! The
pastry was a little crunchier than normal, but still a kitchen win in my eyes.
::
No
blueberries? Try raspberries, cherries, blackberries, figs brushed with honey,
fresh sliced peaches, halved apricots, poached pears… just use your imagination!
::
The
Frangipane Cream is a Gluten Free mixture, so omit the pastry for a Gluten Free
option.
Style
& Serve
::
Dust
with icing sugar & a dollop of double or triple thickened cream.
::
To
impress, I love finely diced strawberries & baby herbs scattered on the
side. If using crème fraîche, I also add a fine drizzle of honey to counteract the sourness of the dairy.
:: elegant accents with a drizzle of honey :: |
Quick Kitchen
::
Have
no time to make your own pastry? Never fear. You can either prepare it the day
before & let it chill in the fridge overnight then continue with the baking
process or
::
Use
a good quality pastry base, such as Carème Vanilla Bean Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
(see selected outlets) or frozen
Pampas Shortcrust Pastry (never, ever
use low fat options in pastry – it turns out hard & tasteless).
Enjoy!