Double Blueberry Tart with Rye Crust - Recipe!

Blueberries are my favorite fruit and they have been already showing up in grocery stores and farmers markets. Blueberries have a luscious fruit flavor, which pair nicely with a delicate rye crust like in this tart recipe. Rye flours are available in most upscale markets and I especially like the Rye-Flour Blend from King Arthur, which you can order online. I use lard in my crust, for an extra flaky texture and you can buy good lard from any specialty butcher.

Also, I added blueberry preserves to the bottom of the crust, hence the double blueberry concept. This double punch of blueberry makes a juicy fruity tart that is out of this world. This tart is perfect for entertaining or family gatherings and you can prepare it one day ahead, store in the refrigerator and set it out at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup Rye-Flour Blend

1 cup pastry flour

2 tablespoons organic sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup rosemary lard (you can add 2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary to regular lard), cold

2 tablespoons butter, cold

Filling

1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries

1/4 cup organic sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup blueberry preserves – I prefer Bonne Maman

Topping

1/3 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup pastry flour

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

pinch of salt

1 stick butter, cold

whipped cream, optional

(Makes 1 Tart)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a stand mixer, combine the rye flour, pastry flour, sugar and salt for the crust.

2. Measure out the lard and butter and spoon it into the flour mixture by teaspoons.

3. Blend the mixture on low for 1 minute. Fill a measuring cup with ice water and add 7 tablespoons to the flour mixture. Blend on low until the dough just barely starts to come together. Do Not Over Mix!

4. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it up forming a disc. Try not to handle your dough too much. Place the wrapped dough into the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, 2 hours preferably.

5. While the dough is chilling, combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl, except the preserves and mix together by hand. Set the bowl aside until the dough is chilled.

6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and sprinkle the counter with a light dusting of pastry flour. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out from the center while continuing to move the dough around clockwise, this prevents sticking. Add more flour to your work surface if necessary. When the dough is a few inches wider than your 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan, roll it up onto the rolling pin to place it in the pan.

7. Gently move the dough into the tart pan by unrolling it off the rolling pin. Press the dough into the lower edges of the pan, if the dough breaks, just press it into the pan as necessary. Make sure the edges overlap the top of the tart pan. With your rolling pin, roll it over the top surface of the pan to cut the dough. Remove the excess dough around the edges of the tart pan.

8. Spread the blueberry preserves into the bottom of the tart dough evenly.

9. Pour the fresh blueberry filling on top of the preserves and spread out evenly. Place the tart pan on a sheet pan and set in the refrigerator or freezer while you make your topping.

10. In a bowl, combine all the topping ingredients except for the butter. Stir the mixture to combine.

11. Cut the butter into chunks and with your fingers press the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

12. Remove the tart from the refrigerator or freezer and sprinkle the topping over the entire surface of the tart. Place the tart in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the fruit on the edges in bubbly and the crust is a golden brown.