A tart to try before berry season ends
Before our annual circuit around the sun forces us to kiss off the blueberry season, I urge one and all to try this blueberry tart. Super-tasty and much simpler to make than the standard recipe, it features the usual buttery bottom crust, loaded with gobs of fresh berries and topped off with a crispy sweet streusel crumble.
BLUEBERRY STREUSEL TART
Total time: 5 hours (35 minutes active); makes 10 servings
300 grams all-purpose flour (about 2½ cups) ¼ teaspoon table salt 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled well ¾ cup (3 ounces) slivered almonds ¾ cup sugar 5 cups blueberries Vanilla ice cream for garnish
Preparation: In a large bowl, stir together the flour and the salt, add the butter and, working quickly with your fingertips or a pastry blender, mix the dough until most of mixture resembles coarse meal, with the rest in small (roughly pea-sized) lumps. Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a medium bowl (reserving the rest for the streusel topping), drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water evenly over the 2 cups and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Gently squeeze a small handful: it should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn’t, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, stirring 2 or 3 times after each addition until it comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and with the heel of your hand, smear the dough in a forward motion on the work surface to help distribute fat. Gather the smeared dough together and repeat the process. Form the dough into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, add the almonds and the sugar to the reserved flour-butter mixture and mix well to make the streusel topping. Chill.
Remove the disk of dough from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before rolling it out.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ⅛-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, ease the dough into the pan, pressing it into the corners and trim off any excess dough hanging over the top. Prick the dough all over with a fork and chill it for 1 hour. Remove the streusel topping from the refrigerator.
Put a large rimmed baking sheet on a rack on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Fill the rolled-out tart shell with the berries and top the berries with the streusel mixture, pressing the mixture down gently. Bake the tart on the sheet pan for 30 minutes. Cover the tart loosely with foil and continue baking until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Remove the side of the pan and let cool completely about 45 minutes. Serve each portion topped with ice cream.