An incredibly easy blackberry tart recipe brimming with all the goodness of fresh fruit simply prepared.
It’s been a pleasantly soggy June, and, owing to a certain amount of angst, I’ve been spending too many hours staring out into the rainy afternoons. My self-imposed anxiety stems from a desire to clarify what the move from Brooklyn to Virginia has meant and figure out what’s next. But the thing is, school is out, the days are long, and we have other things to do. So I’m giving myself a temporary pass and plan to spend the coming weeks meandering in the sunshine, or rain, as the case may be. If I ever do figure something out, you’ll hear about it, I promise.
For now, I’m listening to the rain on the roof, walking along the river with the girls, and daydreaming whenever I can. Inspired by these simple pleasures, I made this spare blackberry tart, a faithful take on this black raspberry one from a few years ago.
We had a couple of friends over on Sunday for a laid-back Father’s Day cookout, and it seemed a fitting end to a day spent enjoying the quieter things in life. In the oven, the blackberries take on a jammy perfection. They have just a bit of tang and a hint of sweetness, and compliment the flaky, buttery homemade crust beautifully. Though we went without, a dollop of crème fraîche or a pinch of minced thyme leaves would be exceptional.
If you’re new to homemade crusts, add a little extra water to make the dough easier to work with. Crumbly dough is the most flaky, but if you over-work it you’ll generate too much gooey gluten. I think it’s best to err wet, and handle the dough as little as possible. For this recipe, and with any wet fruit pie, I find that a preheated baking sheet helps to set up the bottom crust before fruit juice sog sets in.
An incredibly easy blackberry tart recipe brimming with all the goodness of fresh fruit simply prepared.
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, rough chopped
- 5 tablespoons ice water or more if needed
- 1 pint blackberries, washed and dried
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
- pinch sea salt
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To make dough, in the bowl of your food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Pulse in butter, until dough has a slightly sandy texture. Drizzle in water, pulsing just until it is well-dispersed in dough.
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Dump out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rimmed baking sheet (one big enough to accommodate your tart pan) in oven to heat as well. Grease a 9 or 10-inch tart pan and set aside.
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Toss all of filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside and allow ingredients to mingle while you roll out crust.
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On a lightly-floured surface, roll tart dough out into a 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters, then unfold in the tart pan. Tuck any overhanging dough into sides of tart. Scatter blackberries and any juice; place on heated baking sheet and into oven immediately. Bake about 30 minutes, or until crust is a very light golden and berries are bubbling.
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Cool 20 minutes, slice, and serve.
That is so simple and yet so gorgeous! Looks incredible.
Thank you Jocelyn! I’m thrilled that you like it in all its simplicity.
Elizabeth, a soggy summer is just not fair! When we get gray summers (often the case in the Bay Area) and I feel totally gypped. Sunshine is key to the whole “summer” experience.
A lovely simple berry tart like yours would cheer me up for sure!
xo
E
Erin, I feel I can hardly complain to someone from the bay. Our summer gloom is nothing compared to yours! But you’re right that tarts always bring a little sunshine inside.
This was really good and so simple! My blackberries were super sour, so I increased the sugar and decreased the lemon. C’est magnifique! Thanks for the great, simple recipe!
Great tart. I am a beginner as far as pies/pastries/tarts go, and I found this easy and pretty delicious. Especially pleased with the crust. I was a bit intimidated by it at first, but it turned out really well. Thanks for the recipe!
My daughters & I picked berries earlier this week and made this delicious tart tonight. So easy, even for someone who’d never made pie crust before!! Was convinced the crust would be soggy with all the juices, but it turned out perfectly – that pre-heated baking tray tip works a treat! Thanks for sharing 🙂