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| The tart slices beautifully and shows off the thick layer of blueberries over the creamy custard base. |
For a recent last minute dinner party I devised this Blueberry Custard Tart and it was a huge hit. Good thing I took notes as I literally threw it together because I definitely want to make it again.
This tart comes together really quickly so you still have plenty of time to make it for tonight's New Year's Eve celebration. It has a custard base and a fruit topping made with a full two pounds of frozen blueberries. If you don't want to use blueberries you could substitute them with just about any other berry but you might have to add a bit more sugar. Blueberries are naturally the sweetest berry. A combination of berries would also be good.
Here's the recipe:
Blueberry Custard Tart
For the berry topping:
2 lbs. of frozen blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cream and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and heat over medium high heat until simmering. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring it back to a simmer, stirring constantly. Keep cooking until the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
For the crust:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
pinch sea salt
1 cup cold water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the shortening and using your fingertips break in into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add the water, a bit at a time until the dough comes together into a ball. Roll the dough into a round large enough to fill a 10-inch pie pan. Crimp the edges. Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is set and par-baked. Set the crust aside and prepare the custard filling.
For the custard filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla, sugar and sour cream and beat again. Finally, add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the filling into the par-baked crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the custard is firm and set and the crust is fully cooked and golden brown.
To assemble:
Simply spread the cooled berry topping over the custard and place the tart in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
