Blueberry Vanilla TartPrint Recipe

This recipe comes from Serge Dansereau of Bathers Pavillion at Balmoral Beach in Sydney. I made Mr Man take me there one Mothers Day – I wasn’t yet a mother but I was over halfway there and in my mind had every right and reason to celebrate this occasion. I also wanted an excuse to go out and eat, and I did just that – in fact I think I ate my way into my third trimester.

The Blueberry Pancakes with Canadian Maple Syrup hit the spot and were remembered fondly last weekend (on Mothers Day) when we were recounting our Mothers Day adventures. I wanted to make them for you but I found this recipe, also from Serge, and changed my mind.

They are very similar to a crostata (a sweet Italian tart), being that they have a layer of frangipane followed by a layer of custard for the blueberries to sit on top off – very prettily too, I might add. Charming, winsome and perfect for any occasion – these little tarts have everything going for them, in the sweetest of ways.

*you will need to begin this recipe the day ahead*

Tart
225 grams/8 ounces unsalted butter
100 grams/3.5 ounces caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
350 grams/12 ounces plain flour
3 cups of ripe blueberries, rinsed and towel dried
Icing sugar to dust

Frangipane
66 grams/2.3 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
66 grams/2.3 ounces caster sugar
2 eggs
27 grams/.9 ounces plain flour
85 grams/3 ounces ground almonds

Vanilla custard
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split
125 grams/4 ounces white sugar
3 egg yolks
20 grams/.7 ounces plain flour
20 grams/.7 ounces corn flour
 
For the frangipane filling, in an electric mixer beat the butter and caster sugar for 2 minutes, then add the eggs, slowly, beating until well combined. Stop the mixer. Sift the flour and ground almonds and add to the butter mixture. Beat for 1 minute, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate overnight covered with plastic wrap.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until very pale, then beat in the egg. Gradually add the flour and mix to a smooth paste. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or freeze for an hour). On on floured surface, roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness and use to line 8 individual 3 inch diameter tartlet tins. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180c/360f and blind bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of frangipane filling to each tart and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.

For the vanilla custard, bring the milk, vanilla beans and sugar to the boil, slowly. Cream egg yolks and flours together and pour the slowly boiled liquid into this egg mixture once the vanilla beans have infused well. Mix well. Return the entire mixture to the heat, and cook on medium heat, stirring until thickening occurs. Continue to mix on low heat and ‘cook out’ the flour taste for a further 5 minutes. Pass through a sieve and place into a bowl with some baking paper on top to stop a skin from forming. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, spoon a level amount of the custard into each cooked pastry tart.

While the vanilla custard is still at room temperature in the tart shells, place the blueberries tightly packed on top of the custard, dust with icing sugar and serve.

Notes: The tart pastry breaks up very easily so use a heavily floured surface. Also, as you can see I used fluted tins but straight edged tins work just as well.

Source: adapted from Serge Dansereau, Bathers Pavillion

© 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.