French Lemon Blueberry Tart

Every once in a while it's good to treat yo' self, so for the 4th of July I decided to make a french-inspired lemon blueberry tart, topped off with fresh lemon whipped cream. The tart was tangy from the lemon and sweet from the blueberries, with a buttery shortbread crust. 

Here's what you'll need:

For the tart crust:

• one 10" tart pan with a removable bottom
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 stick of cold butter (8 tbsp.)
• 2 tbsp. ice cold water (it's important the water is very cold so that it doesn't melt the butter and make it harder to work with the dough)
• pie weight or dried beans

Begin by adding the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor, and pulse until combined.

Next, add in the butter in chunks and pulse until the consistency resembles that of corn meal, and the chunks of butter are evenly distributed in small pieces throughout the flour mixture.

Add in the cold water and  pulse until a ball begins to form.

Mold the dough into a ball, wrap in saran wrap, and let sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. The longer it cools, the easier the dough is to work with.
(If you are like me and can't wait for 2 hours for dough to chill, you can put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes and it works just as well)

Once the dough is chilled, take it out of the fridge and unwrap it onto a lightly floured surface.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle shape until it is large enough to fit in the tart pan. The dough should also be fairly thin, about 3/10 of a centimeter thick
~Be patient with this step because if you roll the dough out too quickly, it may crack. If this happens, just piece the dough together in the pan and try to evenly press it to the shape of the pan.~

Place the dough into the tart pan, and press the sides into the divets. It is also important to seal up any cracks so no filling spills out. Trim off any dough that is hanging over the edge of the pan by pressing down along the top rim.

Next, pierce the bottom of the lined pan with a fork a few times, and place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough.

Fill the pan with pie weight or dried beans, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
~This process is called blind-baking, and ensures the crust doesn't poof while baking, and it also partially bakes the crust to prevent it from getting soggy.~

Remove the parchment paper and beans/pie weights, and bake the crust for another 5 minutes.

​Once done, set aside to cool.

For the custard filling:

• 1 stick of butter (8 tbsp.)
• 1/4 cup of reduced fat sour cream (traditionally,  crème fraiche would be used)
• 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cups fresh lemon juice (juice of about 3 lemons)
• 4 tbsp. of fresh lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• pinch of salt
• 1 pint of blueberries

Begin by rinsing the blueberries and dry thoroughly. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan on low heat, slowly melt down the butter and combine with the sour cream, stirring until it makes an even homogeneous mixture. 

Set up a double boiler using a medium sized saucepan and either a metal mixing bowl or another smaller saucepan that can fit inside the first pot. Fill the bottom pot with water, but keep the waterline below where the top pot/bowl is; you don't want the two to touch. Boil the water, then reduce to a simmer, and now the double boiler is ready!

Using the metal mixing bowl/saucepan off the heat, add in the eggs an sugar.

Return to the heat and whisk until just combined, then add in the lemon juice.

Continuously whisk the mixture for 3 minutes. At about half way you will start to see the mixture thicken up.
~It's super important to not stop whisking because the eggs can cook and become scrambled eggs if they sit on the heat directly.~

Next, add in the lemon zest and butter-sour cream mixture, and continue to whisk continuously for 3 more minutes. 

Once done, take it off the heat and set aside.

Fill the tart pan with the blueberries, then pour the filling mixture over them, evenly distributing it throughout the pan.

Cook for another 25- 30 minutes, until it is slightly golden brown and the filling can be tapped and surface doesn't crack or transfer to your fingers.

Let cool for at least 20 minutes before popping out the bottom of the tin. Serve cold or at room temperature.

For the Lemon Whipped Cream:

• 1/2 pint of heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Start by placing the blades of an electric hand mixer and the mixing bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
~This will help to make sure they are super cold and will help the particles in the whipped cream form crystals so you get good volume and the cream holds its shape.~

Next, pour the cream in and mix until you see it thicken a bit.

Add in the sugar, lemon extract, and vanilla extract, and mix until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to over whip because then the cream will flatten out again.


Serve a slice of the tart with a dollop of cream, and you're good to go!