Blackberry Tart

Blackberry Caramel Tart

Makes 1x9" tart

Sweet Tart Dough

1/3 cup (40g) Almond flour (a touch of almond extract instead seemed fine)

1 cup (130g) flour (+1/3 cup if skipping almond flour)

1/4 cup (30g) powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup (113g) unsalted butter cut into 1/2" pieces chilled)

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp water

Filling

4 Tbsp water 

2/3 cup (130g) sugar 

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1/3 cup (81g) heavy cream (room temp)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

18oz (510g) blackberries (rinsed and dried) (split into 6oz and 12oz-nicest ones)

1 tsp unflavoured gelatin

Procedure

Dough

Toast the almond flour-put on a baking tray and put in the oven at 350F (or a toaster oven). Keep a careful eye on it so it doesn't burn. Will know its done when it smells like toasted almonds. Let cool a few minutes. 

In a food processor put in flour, powdered sugar and salt and cooled almond flour. Mix

To the yolk add the vanilla and water, set aside

Add the cold cubed butter to the mixer. (Can do by hand if want) Pulse a few times until it looks a bit like coarse cornmeal. Add the yolk and pulse until dough comes together around the blade.

Turn out onto plastic wrap, warp and push out nay air pockets. Life is easier if make it into a thinner square

Chill at least 1 hr, until the butter is hard (can keep 3 days in fridge or 2 months in freezer)

Take from fridge and unwrap.

A little less than 1/2 for the sides, a little more than half for the bottom.

Take dough and cut into strips and press around side and bottom of a 9" removable base tart pan (no need to grease pan, dough is greasy enough) (if dough becomes soft then just put it back in fridge)

Put in freezer 5 min to reharden the dough. Shave off excess dough that go above the edge of the dish. Save the scraps to patch any cracks during baking.

Bake the dough @ 350 Press foil to the base and edges to prevent the sides from slumping, do not wrap the edges, leave the foil pointed up

Bake 15-20 min, remove foil slowly, bake15-20 minutes to brown the bottom. Patch any visible cracks with left over dough or a flour and water paste. 

Chill

Filling

To a heavy base sauce pan on stove on medium, add water then sugar and corn syrup. Stir and bring to a boil, when it comes to a boil stop stirring. Grab a small bowl of water and a pastry brush, use the water to wash down the sides of the pot to prevent sugar from sticking there when you swirl the pot to mix.

It won't darken until all the water boils off. When the water is gone the bubbles grow slower and are larger and glassy. As it starts to darken turn down the heat to control the colour. Looking for a light golden brown.

Add in the room temp cream slowly while mixing until smooth.

Add vanilla, salt and 6oz blackberries

Cook it on medium heat to soften the blackberries. As stirring crush the blackberries to release the juices (can use a masher if need)

Prep the gelatin: put cold water in a shallow dish, sprinkle in gelatin to prevent clumps. Takes 5-10 min to soften, if kitchen hot put it in the fridge

Arrange the berries in the shell. Scatter them in, try not to cut the berries, no overlapping.

Strain the filling through a fine mesh sieve, press on the solids to blackberries release all their juices.

Discard the pulp

In the same sauce pan melt the gelatin-no granules 

Scrape into the sauce. Place sauce bowl into an ice bath to help thicken the sauce, stir until cold heavy cream thickness about 3 min

Pour filling into tart around the berries

Chill about 4 hours until gelatin set. Leave it in the ring for stability. Make sure it is level.

Claire Saffitz

(in her cookbook Dessert Person p.338)