Quick Apple and Blueberry Tart

“Cut my pie into four pieces, I don’t think I could eat eight.”
~ Yogi Berra

This simple berry and apple tart is quick to make and tastes fruity and delicious. I use variations of this recipe all the time to whip up a speedy afternoon tea or dinner-time treat. Shop-bought pastry means all you need to do is a little chopping and mixing and then pop the tart into the oven. Five minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking and you’re done.

Both the apples and blueberries were grown locally. The lemon is from the Meyer Lemon tree in my backyard.

Here’s the farmer whose family grew these delectable blueberries. His name is Otto Saeck and you can find out more about their farm here: Blueberry Fields

Maybe when you’re next visiting the Byron Shire you could call in at one of our fabulous Farmers’ Markets and buy some of Otto’s blueberries to take home. (If they get that far!)

Anyway, back to tart baking…

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 sheets of frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (or your own favourite pastry recipe), 2 cups of fresh blueberries (frozen are fine too), 2 cooking apples, 1/2 cup of sugar, zest and juice of one lemon, one heaped tablespoon of cornflour (cornstarch), 1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon, teaspoon of milk, a little extra sugar.

Method:

Preheat your oven to moderate heat (160 degree celcius fan-forced or 180 degree oven – 350 degrees fahrenheit).

Find a suitable tin to bake your tart. I used a 36cm x 12 cm (14 inch x 5 inch) non-stick rectangular quiche tin with removable base, but you could use any small spring form or quiche dish. A removable base makes removing the tart easier, but it will still work in a conventional pie tin. Just grease it well!

*Hint – If you’re in a hurry you can use a pre-baked sweet pastry case.

Now take your partially defrosted pastry. Don’t let it get too warm or it becomes difficult to handle. Lay the pastry into the tin pressing an overlap of about a centimetre (half inch) at any joins. If you are using a conventional pie dish grease it lightly first to prevent the pastry sticking.

Use a sharp knife to trim away any overhanging pastry, and neaten the edges with your fingers. Reserve the pastry scraps for later. And be okay about your tart looking a little rustic. I promise it will still taste awesome.

Return the pie crust to the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Peel and core your apples and cut them into small pieces. Combine with the washed blueberries, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, sugar and cornflour and stir well.

Dump the fruit into your tart case.

Now to pretty things up… Take the remaining scraps of pastry, cut into lengths and roll some thin dough sausages between your hands. Lay them diagonally across the tart, and then go back in the other direction. Feel free to make or cut out any other pastry shapes from the leftover scraps and use them to further decorate your tart. As you can see, I made a quite dodgy-looking flower. Did I say RUSTIC? Yes I did!!!

Dip your finger in a little bit of milk and rub it over the pastry. Sprinkle sugar on your decorations. Then place into hot oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm or cold. It goes smashingly well with fresh cream or ice-cream too. 🙂