Caramelised Blueberry Tart *Featured Recipe*

My children love blueberries but I never really know what to do with them outside of muffins and pancakes so I liked this idea for a dessert. The brittle sugared top on this purple-juiced blueberry tart is a perfect contrast to the softly set cinnamon custard.

Caramelised Blueberry Tart

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry;

175g plain flour, plus extra for rolling

125g cold unsalted butter, cubed

20g Tate & Lyle’s golden granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2¼ tbsp cold water

For the filling;

295g  blueberries

1 tbsp water

1 level tbsp Tate & Lyle golden granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

200ml  double cream

2 tbsp brandy

1 level tsp cinnamon

For the topping;

40g Tate & Lyle’s golden granulated sugar

Method

You will also need a 23cm (9”) loose-bottomed shallow fluted tart tin, a piece of parchment paper slightly bigger than the tin, some baking beans and a blow-torch or grill.

Make the pastry first. Put the flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and briefly pulse until it comes together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to 2.5cm (1”) bigger than the tart tin. Line the tin, trim the excess and lightly prick with a fork, then chill for 30 minutes. You will have a little pastry left over.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan170°C, 375F, Gas Mark 5.

Place the paper on the pastry, cover with a layer of baking bean and bake blind for 10 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes to dry out the pastry.  Remove the tart from the oven and reduce the heat down to 180°C/Fan160°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

Put the blueberries in a small non-stick pan with the water and sugar and simmer for 1-2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, just enough to warm them.

Next, mix the eggs, yolks, cream, brandy and cinnamon together in a jug.

Tip the blueberries into the tart case and pour over the cream mixture to cover.  Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and the custard has just set.

Leave the tart to cool, then remove from its tin onto a plate and sprinkle over the sugar in an even layer on top. Protect the pastry edges with foil strips if you are going to grill it otherwise it will burn, but if you have a blowtorch, there’s no need. Grill or blowtorch until the sugar caramelises and becomes mottled and dark golden. Serve.

Note: Any post marked *Featured Recipe* on my blog is one that contains a recipe I wish to share with you on behalf of a company or brand. I may not have tried myself and I have not been paid to share this information with my readers, I am simply choosing to do so because I like the look of it!

Image and recipe property of Tate and Lyle

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