A Taste That Reminds Me of Summer in the Mountains
I was born in the mountains, and to me, blueberries taste like summer. When I was a child, we would go into the woods to pick them, and my mother would then turn those little blue berries into wonderfully fragrant jams. Perhaps that is why I still have such a soft spot for their flavour today, especially that slightly tart note that instantly takes me back home.
This tart was inspired by those memories and by the flavours of the mountains. For the pastry, I used alpine dairy butter, which can be found in mountain dairies at this time of year and gives the pastry a particularly wonderful aroma.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Pastry resting time: 1–2 hours
Baking time: about 25–30 minutes
Cooling time: about 1 hour
Total time: about 3 hours
Ingredients
For a 24 cm / 9½-inch tart tin
For the shortcrust pastry
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- 300 g flour
- 150 g alpine dairy butter (if available)
- 100 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
For the pastry cream
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- 500 g whole milk
- 100 g egg yolks
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 27.5 g rice starch
- 27.5 g cornstarch
- ½ vanilla bean
- zest of 1 organic lemon
For the blueberry purée
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- 200 g blueberries
- 30 g sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
To finish
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- fresh blueberries, as needed
- a few mint leaves, optional
- icing sugar, optional
Why Add Blueberry Purée?
The blueberry purée in this tart serves two purposes: it creates contrast in both flavour and colour.
Its fresh, slightly tart flavour balances the sweetness of the shortcrust pastry and pastry cream, while its intense purple colour creates a beautiful contrast—especially when the tart is sliced—between the golden pastry and the yellow pastry cream.
The lemon enhances both the flavour and colour of the blueberries, while the small amount of sugar softens their acidity without turning the purée into an overly sweet jam.
It is a small hidden layer that makes the tart more balanced in flavour and even more beautiful to look at.
How to Make the Shortcrust Pastry
Rub the flour and sugar together with the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the salt, vanilla, egg and egg yolk, then work the dough quickly, just until the ingredients come together. Shape it into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film and leave it to rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour. In summer, when the weather is particularly warm, you can leave it to rest for up to two hours. Once rested, roll out the pastry and use it to line a tart tin. Prick the base with a fork and blind bake until the pastry shell is fully baked and lightly golden. Allow it to cool completely before filling.
How to Make the Pastry Cream
Heat the milk with the vanilla without bringing it to the boil. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the rice starch and cornstarch. Gradually pour the hot milk over the mixture, whisking continuously. Return everything to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and becomes smooth and velvety. Immediately transfer it to a container and cover with cling film directly on the surface. Leave to cool completely.
The Blueberry Purée
Place the blueberries in a small saucepan with the sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Cook over low heat until the berries begin to break down and their juices have reduced slightly. Blend until smooth and leave to cool completely. The purée should not become an overly sweet jam: we want to preserve that pleasant tartness that will provide a contrast to the pastry cream.
Assembling the Tart
Once all the components are completely cold, you can assemble the tart. Spread a thin, even layer of blueberry purée over the base of the pastry shell. Spoon the pastry cream on top and gently smooth the surface. Cover generously with fresh blueberries. Dust with icing sugar and, if you like, decorate with a few small mint leaves. Leave the tart to rest in the refrigerator or in a cool place before serving.
Adocchio’s Tips
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- If you can find it, try making the pastry with alpine dairy butter: its distinctive aroma really adds character to the tart shell.
- Prepare the shortcrust pastry and pastry cream in advance. Assembling the tart is much easier when everything is completely cold.
- Don’t make the blueberry purée too sweet: it should retain its tartness to provide contrast with the pastry cream.
- Allow the purée to cool completely before spreading it over the pastry.
- Choose fresh, firm, unblemished blueberries for decorating.
- To keep the pastry crisp, assemble the tart on the day you plan to serve it.
For more tart recipes, click here