Blueberry tart and Creme Fraiche Sorbet from Biscuits and Bobbins

June 14, 2012 By in Berries, dessert, Fruits, Ice Cream & Sorbet Tags: , , 26 Comments

Today’s post is from Jodi of Biscuits and Bobbins where I recently guest-posted preparing a seasonal German favorite of white asparagus. She in turn, has graciously offered to share one of her summer go-to desserts from her kitchen in Atlanta, Georgia. Jodi’s love of straight-forward and simple flavor-play stems from her professional pastry background with stints in Atlanta landmark kitchens such as Bacchanalia, Seeger’s and The Four Seasons. Check out her blog for more dishes inspired by farmer’s market finds and adventures in urban gardening.

Delighted to be here at Chez Chloe, thanks for having me over Wendy.

Ah, berry season… and blueberries, look at you, you superfood, you…

I love you just as you are, in season, big, plump and flavorful… but you must admit your blueberry essence is even more heightened when cooked.

I’ve made this blueberry tart more times than I can count. Why? Because berry season coincides with barbecue, pool party and potluck season. They are at their peak and on sale. And for this tart you don’t need a mixer, the tart shell doesn’t need par-baking, and it can sit out and be served at room temp and even holds up well outside for a few hours. It will be hot out, so I’m happy to avoid serving something heavy or chocolatey or an over-the-top sugar-fest. Enter blueberry tart.
Click here for Blueberry Tart recipe

The tart is great all by its lonesome, but you can serve it warm or cold with a crème fraîche sorbet like this…

The sorbet adds some tangy creaminess, a nice compliment to the berries. It was very easy to make, whisk together the crème fraîche with some sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and a touch of light corn syrup and spin it into bliss. I made a small batch, just enough for one tart.

Be sure to put your future container in the freezer while the sorbet is spinning in the ice cream maker. The sorbet will be somewhat soft, but will firm up a bit after a few hours. If you can’t wait, I won’t judge.

While that is safely away chilling in your freezer, time to make the tart. This is more of a cake-like pastry crust, than a pate sucree cookie-like tart shell. Mix the flour, egg and chilled butter chunks together with your hands briefly, breaking up the butter a little bit. It should look like this, ie. small flakes of butter still present.

Add the water and form into a ball and then knead it on a floured surface…don’t overdo it. We don’t want to overwork our gluten and make a tough crust.

After a minute or so, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Roll out your dough on a floured surface or if you are like me, you will roll it out on top of flour-dusted plastic wrap to make for an almost foolproof flip-over transfer into the removable-bottom tart pan.

Next whisk together your filling ingredients (reserving part of the sugar) and whisk briskly for a minute until a bit frothy. Fold in your blueberries and pour the filling into the tart shell.

Sprinkle remaining sugar over the top and bake for 4o minutes. Admire your finished tart with its bubbled up blueberry juices cooling in the sunny windowsill. Ah…

If you can’t wait until it cools completely, have a warm slice, and watch the sorbet melt over it. I’m a sucker for this sort of thing.

Or for some extra pomp, a drizzle of blueberry sauce, similar to this one I made the other day for pancakes, would work well too.

I hope you are enjoying summer’s bounty, I am crossing my fingers to get enough berries from my own blueberry bushes to make another blueberry tart soon!

Click here for Creme Fraiche Sorbet recipe
Click here for Blueberry Tart recipe

26 responses

  1. Pingback: Guest Post at Chez Chloe Today! Blueberry Tart with Creme Fraiche Sorbet | Biscuits and Bobbins

  2. This looks delicious! I find it difficult to locate creme fraiche at most of our local groceries, but there’s a lemon buttermilk sorbet that I’ve made that I think would be a good substitute. Can’t wait to try this tart!

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    • Me too… I’ve not made a creme fraiche sorbet and look forward to having a go at it this summer when I get reacquainted with my ice cream maker. If the creme fraiche isn’t available, you might try the buttermilk as suggested by Melissa up a couple comments.

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  6. What a beautiful post … that sorbet – a mouth-watering photo, me that don’t like sorbet, now I would love a couple of spoons – even the pastry talks to me … but this I leave up to the professionals.

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      • Not a big fan of pies and tarts … more into your small Kahlua pots, had too much bad pastry experience through the years, but this blueberry tart looks really yummy. She knows what she are doing. Only a day left before take of – travel safely and talk to you in Seattle.

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  7. This is a fabulous guest post! It looks and definitely must taste like a million dollars 😀
    I adore fruit tarts and never make them often enough so this is a good place to start!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    • Jodi did a fantastic post here! One of these days I’ve got to try this creme fraiche ice cream myself… I did just pull out my ice cream maker and did a lemon buttermilk ice cream last night that was pretty outrageous- so I’m feeling inspired.

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  13. wow! looking really good! now i know how to exhaust my punnet of blueberries in the fridge! and I must get you two ladies to guest post for me one of these days!

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