Blueberry Tart--from My Tart Collection

If the name "Tartelette" was still available I think that would be a great name for my blog. Unfortunately, it is already taken and by a well known and established blog. Tarts are one of my favorite pastry and I make them very often--either savory or sweet. I made sweet tarts with almost all fruits and nuts. I like fruit tarts especially in the summer and fall when I can use fresh seasonal fruits to make them.

For last few weeks, the locally growing blueberries have been arriving massively to the food stores in my area. Today everyone is aware of their high antioxidant content and they are almost in everyone's shopping cart.

I love to eat them fresh straight from the box, put them in my kids' lunch boxes, or put them in fruit salads. Sometimes, I also make tarts with blueberries, especially when they are in their peak--large and sweet. For the crust I typically use my classic short cake recipe, but this time to make it different, I added ground almonds to the crust. I spread the crust over the tart pan, baked it for 10-15 minutes and only then I added fruits and baked it altogether for another 15-20 minutes and voilà my dessert was ready in half an hour. To me it tastes always best when it is still slightly warm.

Blueberry Tart
(For a 10-inch tart tin)

Ingredients for the crust:
1 and 1/2 cup flour,
2 sticks (about 230 g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into thick slices
1/2 cup icing sugar,
1/2 cup ground almonds,
a pinch of salt,

Ingredients for the filling:
3 six oz boxes of blueberries,
1/4 cup sugar,
2 whole eggs,
1 cup table cream.

Preparation:
1. Place flour, sugar, ground almonds, and salt in a large bowl. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Add butter to the flour mixture and working with hands break butter and rub it in the flour to form coarse crumbs.
3. Place the crust in a plastic bag and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F.
5. Butter slightly the baking tin and spread the crust over it. Press gently with fingers make sure to cover the bottom and the side walls.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is gold.
7. Whip quickly sugar, eggs and cream to make a kind of custard mix. Spread blueberries on top of the crust, cover with the custard mix, and bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the topping is set.

Tip: the crust can be made ahead and stored in a refrigerator for up to two weeks.