There I was in my kitchen, prepared to get baking, with two clear objectives in mind:
1) Develop a Wild Blueberry Tart that anyone could tackle, from a teenage amateur baker to an adult in recovery from past pastry failure.
2) Be sure said tart could be made entirely gluten-free.
I started by typing “Easy Tart Crust” into the Google search box on my laptop. It turned up more than 29 million results. I was suspicious. How could that much pastry be genuinely easy? When I took a gander at the recipes on that first page, most looked no different from any other tart I’ve ever made. And none were gluten-free.
Here’s the truth: for a lot of folks, pastry isn’t easy. Having the ingredients at the right temperature, mixing it adequately, chilling properly, and knowing when more flour is needed can be a challenge for home cooks (myself included). And that doesn’t even take into account rolling out the dough, transferring it successfully to the pan, and baking it just right.
Easy as Pie
With summer here and Fourth of July gatherings approaching, I wanted a Wild Blueberry Tart with gluten-free crust that truly is easy-as-pie to make. So instead of Google, I turned to my sister-in-law, Alison, for advice. She’s a professional pastry chef and I figured why not adapt her “Cheater’s Crust” recipe for my Wild Blueberry Tart. Here’s why:
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The ingredients get stirred together with ease in a single bowl.
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It doesn’t need to be chilled.
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The dough doesn’t get rolled at all. Once stirred, you dump it into the tart pan and press it into the bottom and sides.
Flavorful Wild Blueberry Filling
Here’s more good news: The filling is just as simple as the crust. Unlike most fruit tarts, there’s no slicing, dicing, pitting, trimming, or even washing needed. It’s made with frozen wild blueberries , which I find more affordable and reliably flavorful than ordinary blueberries. They’re available year-round in the freezer section of the market and ready to go. Because wild blueberries are naturally sweet, the filling has just 2 tablespoons sugar, total. That, along with a little lemon juice and zest is all it takes to make the tart bright and packed with flavor.
100 Percent Gluten-Free
Last but not least, the pastry can be made entirely gluten-free, without any sacrifice in flavor or texture. For interest, the recipe includes buckwheat and almond flour, which are a dreamy match for the sweet tang of wild blueberries. Pressing the surface of the tart after it’s been par-baked helps to keep the crust in place, particularly when using gluten-free flour.
So pull out your pastry pan, stock up on frozen wild blueberries, and tie on an apron. You’ve got a tart to bake, and this time, it really will be easy.
Wild Blueberry Tart with Buttery Buckwheat (Gluten-Free) Crust
The sweet tangy flavor of wild blueberries are delicious in a buttery gluten-free crust that is embellished with buckwheat and almond flour. The dough is a snap to make, since you simply mix it in a bowl and press it right into the tart pan, no chilling or rolling required.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 10 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- 3 tablespoons almond flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling
- 3 cups frozen wild blueberries (defrosted)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Zest of ½ large lemon
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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Put the butter in a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter melts halfway. Remove from heat and swirl the pan from time to time until the butter melts completely.
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While the butter is melting, use a fork to whisk together the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, sugar, and salt.
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Once the butter is melted, add it to the flour and stir with a fork until mixed together. Transfer to a 9-inch round tart pan and use your fingers to press the dough evenly and firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set on a baking sheet and bake for 22 minutes.
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While the crust bakes, mix together the ingredients for the wild blueberry filling.
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After 22 minutes, remove the tart crust (don't worry if the edges of have slumped down into the pan a bit). Lightly grease the bottom of a metal measuring cup and use it to press the bottom and sides of the dough firmly against the pan, so it hugs the pan nicely and presses the crust back into place along the sides.
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Pour the wild blueberry filling into the pan. Bake on the baking sheet until nicely browned, another 22 to 24 minutes.
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Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
