Quick Classic Berry Tart Recipes

BLUEBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix flour, butter, and powdered sugar together until a dough forms. Press dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, toss blueberries with cornstarch and place in a saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and lemon extract. Simmer, stirring gently to avoid crushing the berries, until sugar dissolves and filling thickens, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour blueberry filling over the cooled crust. Let cool before slicing.

THE QUICKEST BERRY TART

Steps:

• You can make the pastry by hand, or in a food processor. If making it by hand, sieve the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl from a height.
• Chop the butter into small cubes, then gently work the it into the flour and sugar with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Beat the egg and add to the mix with the milk and gently work it together using your hands until you have a ball. Don't work the pastry too much or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short.
• Sprinkle some flour over the dough and a clean work surface, and pat the ball into a thick flat round. Sprinkle over a little more flour, then wrap the pastry in clingfilm and pop it into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
• Lightly oil the inside of a 25cm non-stick loose-bottomed tart tin.
• Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, then carefully roll out the pastry, turning it every so often, until you've got a circle about 0.5cm thick.
• Roll the pastry over the rolling pin, then unroll it into the tin, making sure you push it into all the sides.
• Trim off any extra pastry, and use it to patch any holes, then prick the base of the case all over with a fork, cover with clingfilm, and pop it into the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Line the pastry case with a large piece of greaseproof paper, pushing it right into the sides.
• Fill the pastry case right up to the top with uncooked rice, and bake blind for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Take the case out, carefully remove the rice (save it for baking blind another time) and greaseproof paper, and return the case to the oven to cook for a further 10 minutes, until it's firm and almost biscuit-like. Leave to cool completely.
• Finely grate most of the orange zest into a bowl and whisk with 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar and the cream until you get a silky mixture that forms soft peaks.
• Put half the berries into another bowl and use a fork to mash them up with the remaining tablespoon of vanilla sugar. Break up the meringue nests into rough pieces.
• Gently fold the mushed-up berries, and the meringue pieces, into the cream.
• Tip the cream mixture into the cooled tart case and gently shake it to help spread it out to the edges. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly, then sprinkle the remaining berries all over the top.
• Finely grate over the remaining orange zest and serve right away, with a dusting of icing sugar.

SUMMER BERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

BERRY TARTS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Combine eggs, water and lemon juice until smooth; drizzle over flour mixture. Toss with a fork until mixture is moist enough to shape into a ball (dough will be sticky). Divide in half; shape into balls and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator; let stand 15 minutes before rolling. , On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into 3-in. circles. Ease into 2-in. tart pans, pressing pastry onto the bottom and sides of pan. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Cool. , Place three to four berries in each shell. In a bowl, combine sugar, flour and lemon zest. Stir in sour cream and egg yolk. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling over berries. Place pans on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is set. Cool in pans for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.

QUICK CLASSIC BERRY TART

Steps:

• Beat pastry cream with a whisk until it is smooth. Fill crust with enough cream to come almost to edge of rim, and smooth top. Arrange berries in concentric circles over top of tart. If you are using strawberries, cut them in half from top to bottom.
• Bring jelly and 1 tablespoon water to a boil in a microwave oven or over heat. Working with a pastry feather or brush, dab each berry with a spot of jelly. If you would like, you can glaze entire surface of tart, including pastry cream that peeks through berries, although you may need more glaze.

MIXED BERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until a soft dough forms. Press dough into the bottom of the prepared pan; prick with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edge of crust is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool; do not turn oven off.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sugar; mix until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs; blend for 1 to 2 minutes. Add lemon zest and juice; mix until incorporated. Pour mixture into cooled tart shell.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling has set, about 25 minutes. Chill thoroughly, at least 1 hour. Top with berries and garnish with mint.