Wild Blueberry Tart in a Brown Sugar Crust

By Hklbrries

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s “Seasonal Fruit Desserts.” Madison writes, “Living as I do, far from wild blueberry territory, I’m thrilled to have discovered frozen wild blueberries – tiny dark blue spheres, not very sweet, but with that wild flavor. Since there aren’t quite enough in the package to make a tart, I mix them with fresh cultivated blueberries and end up with a pretty jumble of big and little berries.”

The truth is, I’m slipping this one in because I can’t wait to try it with a combination of blueberries and huckleberries.

Ingredients

• For the tart shell:
• 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
• 3 tablespoons maple sugar or brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon ice water
• For the berries:
• 4 cups wild blueberries or huckleberries, or a mixture of wild and cultivated berries, or one 12-ounce package frozen wild blueberries and 2 cups fresh berries
• 1/3 cup maple sugar or light brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca or arrowroot
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• For the glaze:
• Reserved juice from frozen berries, if you used frozen
• 2 tablespoons organic sugar
• 2 teaspoons Kirsch

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

If using frozen wild blueberries, remove them from the package and let them thaw in a strainer set over a bowl while you make and partially bake the tart shell.

To make the tart shell: Put the flours, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is broken up into pieces the size of baby peas. Drizzle in the water and pulse just until large, moist-looking crumbs have formed.

Gather the crumbs together into a mass. They should stick together. If there is any dry flour left in the bowl, add a few more drops of water to bring it together as well, then add it to the rest of the dough. Shape the dough into a disk about an inch thick. If rolling the dough, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

If patting the dough into the pan, put it in the center of your pan and then start pressing it out using the heel of your hand. When you get to the edge, begin building the dough up the sides. The walls should be about 1/4 inch thick.

It will probably take some going over the dough to get it evenly distributed, but don’t worry, it won’t toughen. Remove the dough that rises over the rim with your fingers and use it to patch another part of the tart that looks thin. Use a finger to make a slightly shallow impression at the base of the rim so that when the dough slides down during baking it won’t end up too thick at that point. Refrigerate the tart until ready to bake.

If you’ve chosen to roll the dough, remove it from refrigerator, lightly flour your rolling surface (a pastry cloth is great here) and roll dough into a 10-inch round. Ease it into a 9-inch tart pan without stretching it. Fold and then press any excess dough to form the sides about 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat the oven to 375 F and set the pastry-lined tart pan on a sheet pan. Line the tart with foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully pull the foil away from the dough. If the dough sticks, return the shell to the oven for a few more minutes, or until the foil comes away with ease.

Once you’ve removed the foil and the weights, return the empty shell to the oven and continue to bake until the crust is clearly set and pale gold, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Toss the berries with the sugar, tapioca and spices, add the lemon juice and let stand for at least 15 minutes.

Fill the partially baked tart shell with the berries and bake in the center of the oven until the fruit has begun to release its juices, about 35 minutes. Remove and let the tart cool nearly to room temperature before cutting so the filling has a chance to set.

To make the glaze, simmer the juice – there should be about 2/3 cup – with the 2 tablespoons sugar until it has reduced by half or up to about 1/3 cup. Add the Kirsch. Then brush or drizzle it over the tart. If you used all fresh berries, sprinkle the Kirsch over the finished tart.