I love a fruity curd tart, and these are definitely a winner. A glorious combination of buttery golden shortcrust pastry concealing a fluffy lemon cheesecake mousse, smothered in delicious blueberry curd. What could be more decadent.
Such pretty treats to adorn any celebration table.
Blueberry & Lemon Tarts
I love a fruity curd tart, and these are definitely a winner. A glorious combination of buttery golden shortcrust pastry concealing a fluffy lemon cheesecake mousse, smothered in delicious blueberry curd. What could be more decadent.
Share via Email
Share on Facebook
Ingredients
Crust (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- 115 grams Unsalted Butter Softened to room temperature
- ½ Cup Icing/Powdered Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- ½ Cup Ground Almonds / Almond Flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ Cups All-Purpose/Cake Flour
- Zest of approx. 1 Lemon Roughly 2 tablespoons
Lemon Mousse Layer
- 125 grams Plain Cream Cheese Softened to room temperature
- ¼ Cup Icing/Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- ¾ Cup Fresh Whipping Cream
Blueberry Curd Layer
- 2 Cups Fresh Blueberries
- ½ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice approx. 3 – 4 lemons
- 1 Large Egg
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- ¾ – 1 Cup Castor Sugar Depending on your sweetness preference and the ripeness of your berries
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter Cut into pieces
Instructions
Crust (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the icing/powdered sugar and mix together until smooth and creamy
- Next add the egg, ground almonds / almond flour and salt to the sugar and butter and mix until well combined. Add the flour a bit at a time and finally the zest and mix until incorporated
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface or board and roll out into a circular shape, a little larger than the pie dish or tart tin you are planning to use. You can use one approx. 25cm non stick pie dish or tart tin with a removable bottom, or as I did on this occasion, 4 x 12,5cm tart tins to make individual tartlets. If making multiple smaller versions, divide the ball of dough evenly before rolling out
- Place the dough into the pie dish(s) or tart tin(s) and ensure that the bottom and sides are covered*. The pastry is very soft and will most likely break when transferring, so patch any holes or cracks where needed
- Remove any excess dough above the rim by trimming with the rolling pin and/or a small pairing knife. Use any excess pastry to patch up holes, cracks or irregularities if needed
- Dock the bottom of the pastry cases with a fork to prevent puffing up while baking, then place the filled tin(s) in the fridge or freezer for around 30 minutes while you preheat your oven
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. When hot, remove the pastry cases from the fridge or freezer and line with baking paper. Use baking beans, dried beans or rice to weigh down the baking paper on the pastry. Make sure that no pastry is visible at this point. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beans/weights and bake uncovered for a further 10 – 15 minutes. You don't want the pastry to brown or shrink too much. It is ready when there are no visible 'wet' spots and it turns a light golden. Remove and let cool completely before adding the filling
Lemon Mousse Layer
- In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and creamy
- Add the lemon juice and zest and mix through until combined
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form
- Gently fold the whipped cream, in batches, into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Ensure you do not over mix as not to remove all the air your whipped into the cream. You want a light fluffy mousse mixture
- Spoon evenly into the cooled tart shells to fill around half way
- Place in the fridge to set a little for around 1 hour before adding the curd layer
Blueberry Curd Layer
- In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries and lemon juice, cover, and place over medium heat. Cook until the blueberries pop and the liquid bubbles, around 5 to 7 minutes. You can also use a spoon or spatula to press the berries to help them break apart as they cook
- Pass the blueberries through a strainer, pressing well with a spoon. Be sure to scrape all the puree off the underside of the strainer into the bowl. Set aside to cool
- Discard the pulp and rinse the saucepan and sieve
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg until combined. While whisking, pour in sugar and whisk until light yellow in color
- Mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of water until it dissolves and there are no lumps
- Add the blueberry puree, the egg mixture and the cornstarch mixture to the sauce pan,and continue whisking until creamy and well incorporated, about one minute. Place over medium heat, whisking/stirring constantly, until it thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, around 8 – 10 minutes
- Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, one piece at a time
- Strain into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap and cool until it reaches room temperature
Assembly
- Gently spoon the curd over the mouse layer(s) of the tart(s), trying not to disturb it. Gently smooth over or shake a little to smooth the surface of the curd
- Place in the fridge to set and chill for at least 2 – 6 hours, or preferably overnight**
- Decorate with fresh blueberries if you wish and serve
Notes
*I roll the circle of dough over my rolling pin for ease of transfer to the pie dish, then place it loosely over the pie dish and work it into the corners and sides with my fingers.
**As the fillings have no gelatine the layers will not set firm. They will still be quite soft and moussy/creamy so allowing more time to chill helps if you want distinct layers. This is also a reason why the recipe is ideal for individual servings instead of a large tart.
Tried this recipe?Post your pics and tag us at @my_homemade_kitchen_za or #myhomemadekitchen!
This looks great. I will be making it tomorrow. What are they decorated with? Is it a small meringue cookie?
I didn’t make it exactly according to the recipe. I simplified things but it still turned out delicious. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your feedback. Feel free to share your changes or substitutions on here. My recipes are just a guide and not prescriptive so I really enjoy when people make them their own. It is always appreciated to hear how you changed it up.
Wishing you a wonderful day Further.
Would it be possible to use frozen blueberries for this recipe?
These look delicious and i would love to make them but as of the time of year its very hard to get fresh blueberries where is live. Would it be possible to make this using frozen blueberries?
Most definitely! Frozen blueberries would work just as well