Blackberries are on sale for only $1.80! Here’s a bite of spring, brought to you by a really good deal at my local grocery store. I urge you to grab a load of whatever berry is on sale wherever you shop, and if you’re like me, get a double pack because you’ll be eating them by the fistful as you assemble these tarts. I will admit that I popped the biggest, ripest, juiciest blackberries into my mouth and filled the tarts with the smaller berries… They were all nummy, though!
Did you know that blackberries turn a gorgeous reddish hue after they’re baked? SO COOL.
I call these rustic tarts because you can throw perfectionism out the door. It doesn’t matter if the dough cracks. Just sprinkle the parchment paper with turbinado sugar for that caramelized crunch, lay the rolled out dough on top, pat it gently so the sugar sticks, pile on the fruit, and flip the edges over the filling.
I used a gluten-free dough for this almondy tart crust. If you’re not allergic to gluten, you can swap out the gluten free flours (brown rice, tapioca, and buckwheat) for whole wheat or all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand. I’ll detail all the possible combinations in the recipe printed below. I’m not actually allergic to gluten, I just like to experiment.
If you haven’t tried a whole-grain tart dough before, do it! I know not everyone stocks whole grain flours in their pantry, but it’s worth it for the taste alone to go out and get some.
I started growing my own rosemary plant a few weeks ago. Those things grow fast! I snipped off a little sprig and took a bite of it with the tart, not knowing what to expect. I’m happy to report that it was TASTY. Quite refreshing. I had another tart with a big scoop of melty ice cream. That was also superb.
Time to dig in!
closely adapted from My Darling Lemon Thyme's gluten-free peach and raspberry crostata recipe
Ingredients
Directions
- Whisk almond meal, sugar, and flour together.
- Cut your butter into the flour mixture quickly. You can do this in the food processor by cubing your butter and pulsing it with the flour mixture a few times until pea-sized bits of butter are coated in flour. You can also shred your butter into the flour using a coarse grater, using a fork to combine.
- Add the beaten egg in a thin drizzle, mixing or pulsing as you go.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of ice cold water into the dough if it feels dry. (This is where my recipe differs a little from the original recipe. I suspect it's because I live in dry-ass, wintry Boston, so my dough needs a little more moisture. I've made this recipe twice, and the dough with more water came out far more tender. If you live in a humid region, you can probably skip the water.) Mix or pulse for just a second, then use your hands to quickly form the dough into a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough for half an hour in the fridge, then break it into 6 even chunks and press each into a ball. Flour your cutting board and rolling pin, then roll each ball of dough into a circle about 1/2 centimeter thick.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle turbinado sugar all over the parchment. Lay each sheet of dough over the sugar and pat gently so the sugar underneath sticks to the dough.
- Fill the centers with fruit, leaving a 2 inch border of dough around the edge. Flip the edges over the filling and pat down the creases. If the dough has warmed up by the time you're done, chill the tarts in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Baking for 25 minutes. Top with a sprig of rosemary or eat warm with ice cream. These will keep in the fridge for a few days. Simple pop it in the microwave to reheat for the most tender crust.
4 comments
What delicious tarts! Loved that you have a gluten version and gluten-free crust
Thanks so much! I try to bake gluten free as much as possible so everyone can enjoy it 😛
These look (paradoxically) so perfect in their imperfection! I love their rustic charm, and the combo of nectarines and blackberries is so tantalizing! I can’t wait until summer fruits arrive where I live.
Thank you so much! Just checked out your blog. I love “put on your cake pants” – that describes me too 🙂