according to those who know these sorts of things (namely, my mother) it is not going to be a good year for blueberries.
after hours of picking, we returned with only a few cups of the wonder fruit.
these precious berries are to be eaten fresh. (and not wasted in such silly things as pies or muffins.)
fresh tarts were my solution. (and g's pick for dessert).
few things make me happier than sharing food.
so sharing food that i've made with people that i love.
it just doesn't get much better.
tart dough (from martha's baking handbook)
6 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons heavy cream
martha does this in a mixer. i did it by hand.
combine butter and sugar. add eggs. stir until incorporated.
add flour in two batches.
with the second batch of flour, add the salt and cream.
stir until combined.
wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours.
lemon curd
8 large egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
remove saucepan from heat. add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
assembly
roll out dough on lightly floured surface. (this is a soft dough, very forgiving)
i believe that it would work nicely in a 9 inch tart pan.
if you like the look of these jagged little rectangles, use tiny bread pans and a crinkle cutter as i did. (who knows where my actual tart tins are at this point?!)
use a fork to prick the bottoms of your tart.
place tins in the freezer for 30 minutes.
preheat oven to 350f.
bake for 12-18 minutes (depending on size) until golden. cool in tins on wire rack and then turn out to cool completely.
stir the lemon curd. fill up your cooled shells. top with berries.
dust with powdered sugar and whip cream if you like!
