Blueberry Tart

 

 

I’ve had such a wonderful summer! And part of it was definitely due to the 20 pounds of blueberries I got last month! I’ve had so much fun making yummy treats with them! I didn’t get around to posting any recipes yet because I’ve been busy with my family here, we were having too much fun! But they’ve gone home now and I can get back to business.

This tart is such a nice summery treat! The chocolatey crust is baked, but only for 15 minutes, nothing outrageous when it’s hot outside. The creamy filling is made with white chocolate and marscarpone cheese. I added a smidge of sugar and it’s just dreamy. This would be a great dessert to make when having guests over because you could easily do everything up in advance and just put it together before serving. The tarts are made in individual tart pans which my kids just loved! They love getting their own little dessert all to themselves. Sometimes sharing is overrated!

Chocolate Blueberry Tarts

Adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon ice water

2 ounces white chocolate

1 cup +2 tablespoons mascarpone

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 pints blueberries

6 tartlet pans with removable bottoms

 

For the tarts: In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour, cocoa, sugar and salt and pulse to blend.

Cut the butter into small pieces and pulse with the flour mixture until it looks crumbly.

Beat the yolk and ice water together and add to the mixture.

When it comes together, turn it out of the processor and work it together with your hands. Form into two discs and wrap in plastic. Let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 6 equal portions. I cheated and used my kitchen scale.

Roll each portion into a circle a bit larger than your tartlet pan. Form the dough to the pan with your fingers. Don’t stress if it tears, it patches like a dream!

Freeze the tartlet pans for 30 minutes. While the pastry is freezing, preheat the oven to 350 and slip in a baking sheet.

Pop the tartlets into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove and cool.

While they are cooking, melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Try 30 second bursts, stirring in between.

Beat the marscarpone, sugar and cream together and fold in the melted, cooled chocolate. If the filling still feels thick add a bit more cream.

When the shells are cool, remove them from their pans and fill with the cream.

Top with the blueberries and enjoy!

Blueberry Lemonade

This is hardly a recipe, but I just had to post it since I’ve pretty much been living on it for the last week! I just can’t get enough! I was trying to copy a huckleberry lemonade I used to get at one of my favorite restaurants. (Beware, there’s audio when you click the link.) This is tasty enough to cover up a boring old lemonade mix. When we lived in the middle of nowhere Moses Lake, Washington and lemons were a buck apiece during the summer I had to lift my ban on powdered lemonade mix. I can’t drink that stuff plain, but if you add enough berries/fruit to it, it acts as a great (and much more cost effective) base. Give this a try, you’ll be glad you did!

Blueberry Lemonade

Serves 2-4 (depending on how greedy you are. For me, this serves ONE.)

1 cup blueberries (frozen is totally fine, since we’ll be freezing these anyhow!)

3/4 cup of blueberry sauce

powdered lemonade to make one quart worth (feel free to use frozen concentrated lemonade or GASP the genuine article!)

2 cups of ICE COLD water

2 cups of ICE COLD lemon lime soda

squeeze of lemon

 

Freeze the blueberries for at least 30 minutes.

Dissolve the powdered lemonade in the water.

Add the blueberry sauce and mix well.

Pour in the soda and stir to incorporate.

Pour into a pretty glass and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.

Garnish with the frozen blueberries (and a twist of lemon, if you’re fancy like that). Serve with a straw and enjoy!

Oh, (blue)Baby!

That, my friends, is 20 POUNDS of fresh, organic blueberries. Oh. My. Stars. Have I mentioned recently how much I adore Maine? So brace yourselves, you’re about to be bombarded with blueberry recipes!!! I’ll start out with a simple sauce. Perfect for drizzling over (blueberry) pancakes, or (blueberry) ice cream, or (blueberry) lemonade, or (blueberry) cheesecake, or . . . well, you get the drift, right?

 

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained

a squeeze of lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

 

In a medium pan, combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the blueberries and lemon juice and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the berries are soft and bursting.

Dissolve the cornstarch into the 1 tablespoon of water.

Add to the blueberry mixture and cook for about 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

Pour through a strainer into a medium bowl and cool thoroughly.

Your syrup should keep, well, probably indefinitely, but at least for three weeks! *wink*