Blueberry Tart
intro
Buttery flaky shortcrust, silky vanilla pastry cream, and glossy peak-season blueberries make this elegant, light tart a beloved summer dessert.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix tart crust dough
In a food processor, combine 180g all-purpose flour, 30g powdered sugar, and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt. Add 115g cold cubed butter, pulse 8-10 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces. Add 1 cold egg yolk and 1 tbsp ice water, pulse just until dough clumps together, adding up to 1 extra tbsp ice water if the mixture remains dry and crumbly. Shape dough into a 2.5cm (1-inch) thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Blind bake the crust
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm (12-inch) circle, 3mm (1/8-inch) thick. Gently lay the dough into a 23cm (9-inch) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing it firmly into the fluted sides and trimming excess overhang with a paring knife. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill with ceramic pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights, bake for 5 additional minutes until the crust is pale golden across the bottom and edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Make pastry cream
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, warm 240ml whole milk until it just begins to steam (do not boil, approximately 3 minutes). In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 50g granulated sugar, 16g cornstarch, remaining 1/8 tsp fine sea salt, and 1 room-temperature large egg until completely smooth. Slowly pour half the warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to prevent curdling, then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking nonstop, for 2-3 minutes until the cream thickens to a spreadable pudding consistency. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 28g room-temperature butter until fully melted and smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Fill cooled tart shell
Once the tart shell is fully cool and pastry cream is chilled, peel the plastic wrap off the cream. Whisk the cream vigorously for 10 seconds to loosen it to a smooth, spreadable consistency. Scoop all the pastry cream into the center of the cooled tart shell, then spread it in an even 1cm (1/2-inch) layer across the bottom with a small offset spatula, creating a slight shallow indentation in the center to hold blueberries in place.
Arrange fresh blueberries
Take 350g of rinsed, thoroughly patted-dry fresh blueberries. Arrange them in tight, concentric circles starting from the outer edge of the tart and working inward, pressing each berry lightly into the pastry cream to anchor it, until the entire surface of the cream is covered in a uniform, jewel-toned layer of blueberries.
Glaze and chill tart
In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat 2 tbsp apricot jam for 15 seconds on high power until melted and runny, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any solid fruit chunks. Use a soft pastry brush to gently dab the melted jam over all the exposed blueberries to create a shiny, protective glaze that keeps berries fresh. Chill the assembled tart in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set the glaze before slicing and serving.
Tips
2.Always pat rinsed blueberries completely dry with paper towels before placing them on the tart; excess surface moisture will make the pastry cream soggy and prevent the apricot glaze from adhering properly.
3.The baked tart shell and chilled pastry cream can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; assemble the tart no more than 4 hours before serving for the crispiest crust and freshest berry flavor.
OMG this blueberry tart was the star of our 4th of July potluck! Everyone kept asking for the recipe, even the neighbor who swears she doesn’t like fruit desserts. The crust was perfectly buttery, not too sweet, and the fresh blueberry topping tasted like summer in every bite. 10/10 will make again!
Tasted amazing when it finally came together, but whoa—for a medium difficulty recipe I was not prepared for how long the chill time took! I almost messed up my dinner party timeline because I skipped reading the full cook time note first. Don’t be like me, block off the full 1 hour 45 minutes for this, chill time included!
My kids went absolutely crazy for this tart! I’ve been trying to find a dessert that isn’t loaded with processed sugar for our weekly Sunday family dinner, and this checked every box. The oldest even asked if we can make it for his birthday next month instead of cake. Game changer!
Solid recipe, I swapped the regular all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and it worked pretty well! The crust was a little more crumbly than I expected, but the blueberry filling flavor was spot on. Next time I’ll add a tiny bit of xanthan gum to hold the crust together better.
Used fresh wild blueberries I picked last weekend out in the mountains for this, and HOLY COW it was SO good. Way better than using the store bought ones that are all big and watery. If you have access to wild blueberries, do not sleep on using them here!
I’ve never made a tart from scratch before, I was so intimidated by the medium difficulty rating but this was way more straightforward than I thought! The instructions were super clear, I didn’t mess up a single step. My roommates thought I bought it from a fancy bakery downtown lmao
Added a tiny bit of lemon zest to both the crust and the blueberry topping, and it gave the whole tart such a bright, zingy kick that cut through the sweetness perfectly. Will 100% be making that addition every time I make this from now on. So good!
Wait, did I do something wrong? My crust got totally soggy under the blueberry layer after I chilled it. The flavor was still great but the texture was all off, super mushy instead of crisp. Any idea where I messed up?
Made this on Sunday to have as a little treat throughout the work week, and it held up perfectly in the fridge for 4 whole days! The crust didn’t get soggy, the blueberries stayed fresh, it was the perfect midday pick-me-up with my afternoon coffee. Will be adding this to my regular dessert rotation
Served this warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top when my parents came over for dinner last night, and my dad said it was better than the blueberry pie his mom used to make. High praise coming from a guy who never compliments any food that isn’t my grandma’s cooking. 10/10
I couldn’t find fresh blueberries at my grocery store that weren’t $7 a pint, so I used frozen (thawed and drained super well) and it still turned out amazing! Saved me like $5 and no one who tried it could tell the difference. Such a flexible recipe!
Way too sweet for my taste, even with the natural sweetness from the blueberries. I followed the recipe exactly but next time I’ll cut the sugar in the crust by at least a third, and maybe reduce the glaze a little too. Flavor profile was great otherwise, just way more sugary than I prefer.
Made this for my girlfriend for our anniversary dinner at home, and I earned so many boyfriend points. She’s a total blueberry fanatic and said it was the most thoughtful thing I’ve ever made for her. Win! Pro tip: add a little homemade whipped cream on top, chef’s kiss.
The tart dough kept cracking when I tried to roll it out and press it into the pan! I almost gave up halfway through, I ended up just pressing pieces of dough into the pan with my fingers instead of rolling it, and it still baked up fine. Is that normal?
Brought this to my monthly book club meetup last night, and not a single slice was left. We spent 20 minutes just talking about how good the tart was instead of discussing the book we were supposed to review. Oops! Worth it though, 10/10.
Doubled the recipe to make two tarts for our big family reunion last weekend, and they both were gone within 15 minutes of me setting them on the dessert table. I should have made three! All my aunts were hounding me for the recipe before we even left.