Blueberry Tart

This is a very similar tart to the strawberry tart. Fresh blueberries and a rich pastry cream - in this case infused with cherry liquor instead of vanilla. 

Ingredients: Tart Base

1.25 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Ingredients: Custard

2 cups whole milk

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn starch (sifted)

3 Tbs. Cherry Liquor (to taste)

3.5 Tbs unsalted butter at room temp and cut into bits

Ingredients: Topping

2 pints fresh blueberries

Method: Tart Base

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter, and process until large moist crumbs form.

3. Transfer the dough to a round tart pan (9inch in diameter).

4. With floured fingers press the dough into the pan.

5. Freeze until firm (around 30min).

6. Take out the freezer, and prick all over with a fork.

7. Bake until golden (20-25min).

8. Let cool to room temp.

Method: Custard

1. Bring the milk to boil in a small saucepan.

2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan whisk the egg yolks together, as well as the sugar and cornstarch until it is well blended and slightly thick.

3. Still whisking stir in around 1/4 of a cup of boiling milk (do this slowly - always adding a small bit whilst you whisk).

4. Keep whisking and pour in the rest of the boiling milk.

5. Put the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to the boil while constantly whisking.

6. Keep boiling for around 1 min, then remove from the heat.

7. Whisk in the cherry liquor

8. Let sit for 5 min.

9. Add the butter and whisk in until it is well Incorporated (the cream should be smooth and slightly shiny).

Method: Topping

1. Wash, and dry blueberries.

Method: Assembly

1. Once the tart base has cooled, add the pastry cream. Smooth the top with a mini pastry scraper or a rubber spatula.

2. Place the strawberries on top in a manner that pleases.

From Dorie Greenspan "Baking From My Home to Yours" p. 377.

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

This is a rich cheesecake with the slight taste of blueberries. I had some issues baking this one. The picture above is of the cake before it was baked, the one below is when it was baked. I baked it for around 3 hours - far, far over the 50-60min baking time. I'm sure there are better recipes out there for a cheesecake, but I would absolutely make the blueberry syrup again, as I think it's stunning!

Ingredients: Base
2.5 oz shortbread cookies
1/2 cup almond meal
1.5 oz melted butter

Ingredients: Blueberry syrup
7.5 oz fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup sugar

Ingredients: Filling
20 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method: Syrup
1. Process the blueberries in a food processor and press through a sieve (you should end up with 1/2 cup of puree).

2. Place the puree and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Rapidly simmer for 8 or so min, until it thickens.

3. Set aside to cool.

Method: Base
1. Process the cookies in a food processor until crushed.

2. Add the almond meal, and butter and process until combined.

3. Grease a 9 inch springform pan, and line the base with parchment paper.

4. Press the crumb mixture over the base and place in the fridge.

Method: Filling
1. Preheat the oven to 280F.

2. Process the cream cheese either with a paddle attachment or in a food processor until very smooth, make sure there are no lumps, and make sure that you use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and the bottom.

3. Add the sour cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla, and process till smooth.

Method: Assembly
1. Pour the filling over the base.

2. Drizzle the blueberry mixture over the top and swirl lightly with a butter knife.

3. Bake for 1 hour (or until set - not having made many cheesecakes before this was an ambigious remark- which confused me to no end. If it's wiggly - is it set? How solid does it have to be to be set?!)

4. Refridgerate and serve cold.

Taken from the sometimes good, but very pretty Donna Hay Modern Classics Book 2: Cookies, Biscuits + Slices, Small Cakes, Cakes, Desserts, Hot Puddings, Pies + Tarts, p. 86.

Blueberry Crumble Cake

This is a moist, crumbly cake, filled with fresh, local blueberries, with an interesting addition to the crumble.

Ingredients

3 cups blueberries

Ingredients: Cake Batter

1.25 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1.25 cups sugar

1 Tbs. vanilla sugar

1 Tbs. rum

1.25 cups of butter

2 eggs

Ingredients: Crumble

1 and 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

pinch star anise

1/2 cup soft butter

Method

1.Preheat oven to 350F or 180C and grease a spring form tin. Wash the blueberries and pat dry.

2. Mix together the flour, and baking powder, and sift into a bowl.

3. Add all the other dough ingredients in. stir together until it is a smooth consistency, try and make sure the butter is well integrated.

4. Spoon the mixture into the spring form tin, and smooth the surface.

5. Place the blueberries on top.

6. To make the crumble, sift the flour into a bowl, add the anise, sugar and softened butter. Combine with your hands, making sure the butter is integrated, the result should have a random consistency, some big chunks, some small.

7. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the cake.

8. Bake for 45-50min.

9. Remove the cake from the spring form tin, and cool on a rack.

Blueberry Tart(s)

This is a tasty recipe. This can also be made using small tartlet containers (as I have done in the pictures). This is also tasty without the addition of the lemon in the blueberry filling.

Ingredients: Crust
1.25 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. sal
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Ingredients: Filling
6 cups fresh blueberries - rinsed and dried
2 Tbs. cornstarch (cornflour)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (optional)
3 Tbs. lemon juice (or water)
2/3 cup sugar

The Crust
1. Preheat oven to 375F or 190C.
2. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter, and process until large moist crumbs form.
3. Transfer the dough to a round tart pan (9inch or 13cm in diameter).
4. With floured fingers press the dough into the pan.
5. Freeze until firm (around 15min).
6. Take out the freezer, and prick all over with a fork.
7. Bake until golden (20-25min).

The Filling
1. Reserve 1 cup of the nicest berries for the top.
2. In a medium saucepan bring 1/4 cup water and 1.5 cups of blueberries to boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to break down (3-4min).
4. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 2 Tbs cold water, stir into the berries in the pan.
5. Add the lemon zest, and lemon juice (or water), and sugar.
6. Simmer until mixture begins to thicken. (Watch out for the lumps of cornstarch that form, try and pick these out).
7. Remove from heat*.
8. Add 3.5 cups of blueberries.

Assembly
1. Pour the hot berry mixture into the crust.
2. Scatter the 1 cup of saved berries over the top.
3. Refrigerate and enjoy!

* You can use the filling up to this point as a jam. I use it with scones.
This recipe is taken from "Everyday Food" July/August 2005 pp. 56-7.