It’s been just under 3 years since I arrived to stay on the Sunshine Coast, but I’ve been coming to visit my Oma and Opa since before I could walk. One of my favourite memories to this day is heading out in the summer heat to pick blackberries with my Oma. I would squeal with delight when I saw the plump, black berries hanging heavy from their branches and be so proud and excited to show my Opa my full bucket of berry treasure when we finished picking. Fresh berry treasure always meant a bowl full of ice cream and blackberries for dessert!
To this day my eyes still light up (I may squeal a little too 😀 ) when blackberry season comes around. It is awfully hard to pass by those big, juicy berries on a walk around the neighbourhood, but it doesn’t take long before my bucket is full and I’m heading back to the kitchen to get my hands in some dough.
Here’s to the best berry of the summer!
Happy baking!
If you liked this recipe you are going to love these ones!
Cherry Spelt Galette
Apricot Quark Cheesecake
Upside Down Rhubarb Spelt Cake
Blackberry Spelt Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 1/4 cups organic all purpose, unbleached spelt flour also known as white spelt flour
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- pinch of salt
- zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tsp cold water
Filling
- 2/3 cup quark or mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp organic all purpose, unbleached spelt flour also known as white spelt flour
Topping
- 2 tbsp blackberry jam or jelly optional
- 2-3 cups fresh blackberries
- 1/3 cup toasted almonds or hazelnuts roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp organic sugar
Instructions
Make the Pastry
-
Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Cut in the butter and mix with a fork or pastry mixer. Add the egg yolk and 3 tsp of cold water until the dough comes together into a loose clump. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a smooth ball. Put the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9 inch tart pan. Lightly dust your work surface with flour again and roll the dough out slightly larger than the pan. Lightly flour the top of the dough, fold in half, and place it into the pan. Line the pan neatly and trim the edges with a knife. Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork many times. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and fill with uncooked beans or rice to weigh it down. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, remove the beans and parchment and allow to cool. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.
Make the Cream
-
In a large bowl using a hand held mixer or in a kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment mix the quark, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and flour together until smooth.
Assemble the Tart
-
Spread the blackberry jam or jelly evenly over the bottom of the dough. Spoon the cream evenly over the jelly and spread out to smooth the surface.
-
Rinse and drain the blackberries. Place each blackberry stem side down in a circular pattern, filling the entire bottom. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar and the toasted almonds over the top of the blackberries.
-
Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges of the tart are golden. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
This is a versatile tart and can be made with blueberries, strawberries, peaches or made the original way with pears.
