Tarte aux myrtilles
Bonjour mes amis! Et bienvenue à Mised Out!
Last month was all about summery galettes. Whether as an apéro or plat, galettes are the perfect embodiment of light summer dining. But what’s a little dinner without dessert? Inconcevable! Which is why August is dessert month!
First up is a blueberry tart, or a tarte aux myrtilles. See?! We’re cooking and learning at the same time! Sweet, tangy and plentiful blueberries are a summer workhorse. Blueberries add a burst of sunshine to sauces, tarts, buckles and salads. So why start dessert month with a tart? And why this tart?
The answer is simple, really. First, the beauty of this blueberry tart is that is can be made in stages. Cook the shell one day and make the filling the next. Perfect for us busy cooks! Second, unlike traditional tarts that might use a crème pâtissière for the filling, we’re opting for a lighter calorie and oh so, so much simpler whipped mascarpone to fill our tart shell. Layer fresh blueberries on top of the mascarpone, et voilà – the tarte is finished. You do want to budget time for the whipped mascarpone to set, so be sure to start the filling in the early afternoon if you intend to serve it that evening.
Blueberries are really the star of the show here. When a dish is simple, the quality of the ingredients really matters. Blueberries from your own bushes, from a farm stand or from a farmers market are ideal. Berries from the grocery are often picked before they are ripe and can be tart and hard. That said, in some parts of the country even grocery store berries are delicious, so know your locale and your market – and choose what works for you.
And now, chers lecteurs, without further adieu – Mised Out’s Tarte aux Myrtilles!
Tarte aux Myrtilles
Ingredients
Pâte Sablée
- 1 C flour
- ⅓ C almond flour
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 5 Tbsp butter (chilled)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (chilled)
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
Whipped Mascarpone
- 1 C heavy cream
- ½ C mascarpone
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Blueberry Topping
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
Instructions
For the pâte sablée
- Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into bits the size of small oatmeal flakes.
- Blend in the egg and almond extract, and knead the dough rapidly into a ball.
- Place on a pastry board and with the heel of your hand – not the palm – rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonful bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about six inches.
- Form the dough into a disc about 1 inch thick, wrap in wax paper and chill for several hours until firm.
- Once chilled, roll or press the dough into false-bottom tart pan. Work rapidly as the dough will soften rapidly.
- Using either foil or parchment paper, line the shell and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake in the middle of a preheated 375° oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the lining and weights, prick the bottom of the shell several times with a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The shell will be done when it has shrunk slightly from the tart pan and begins to brown very lightly. Immediately remove the mold from the shell and let cool completely on a rack.
For the whipped mascarpone
- Place cream, mascarpone, and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Chill at least 2 hours.
Assembly
- Evenly spread the whipped mascarpone in the tart shell.
- Place a single layer of blueberries over the mascarpone. Press the berries into the filling – gently! – to hold them in place.
- Chill until ready to serve.