Blueberry & almond tart
Method
(This recipe was created by Debra Austen and kindly supplied by Empire Pastry)
To blind bake tart, preheat oven to 190°C.
Line tart shell with baking paper and fill with baking beans (see handy tip). Scrunch the baking paper up and then “un-scrunch” it before lining the pastry shells – it makes it softer and less likely to cut into the pastry.
Bake tart shell for 10-12 minutes. Carefully remove paper and beans and bake for another 3-5 minutes until the pastry is cooked through (no damp bits on the bottom).
To make the filling, turn the oven down to 180C.
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time until just combined. Add vanilla and orange liquor, if using.
Stir in almond meal, followed by self-raising flour, until combined. Mix in one of the blueberry punnets.
Spread mixture into the blind-baked tart shell and top with remaining berries and sprinkle over almonds.
Bake for 35 minutes or until browned and set. Leave to cool at room temperature before slicing.
To serve
Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice-cream.
Handy Tips
You can use raw chickpeas, rice, kidney beans, or any other dried grain or legumes to blind bake. Store the cooled beans in an airtight container; they are no longer suitable for consumption but can be reused multiple times for baking blind.
