This tart is made with a slightly sweet crust and is topped with a handful of lovely berries.

Blueberries are all the rage, with their protective bounty of antioxidants naturally packaged in a form that just happens to be sweet and juicy. They deserve the royal treatment they get in this tart, where they bejewel a spread of creamy pastry cream. Feel free to substitute other whole berries; all will shine in this delicious dessert. Mix up the shape of the tart pan you use to fit the occasion. This tart has a lightly sweet crust, adding another dimension of flavour that complements the tart berries.
 

 

Ingredients

Tart Shell

• 1 cup/130 g whole-wheat pastry flour
• ¼ cup/30 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Sucanat or granular palm sugar
• 1⁄8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup/60 ml ice water, plus more as needed

Pastry Cream

• 1¾ cups/420 ml nondairy milk
• ½ cup/120 ml agave syrup
• 1⁄8 tsp salt
• ¼ cup/30 g arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• 1 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/120 ml fruit-sweetened apricot jam
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups/310 g fresh blueberries
• ¼ cup/60 ml fruit-sweetened apricot jam
• 1 tbsp water
• Orange zest for garnish (optional)

Directions

To make the tart shell

1 In a large bowl, combine both flours, the Sucanat, and salt and whisk until well mixed. Drizzle in both oils while tossing the flour with a fork.

2 Drizzle in the ice water, still tossing the mixture with a fork, then start mixing with your hands, adding a bit more water if needed to moisten all of the flour. As soon as the dough holds together when pressed, form it into a disk.

3 On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a round with a diameter of about 13 in/33 cm. It will be thin and delicate, so use a big spatula to transfer it into a 10-in/25-cm tart pan with a removable bottom.

4 Trim or fold the edges and patch any tears by pressing the dough back together. Poke the tart shell several times with the tines of a fork, then line it with foil and fill the bottom with pie weights or dried beans.

5 Refrigerate the tart shell while the oven is preheating.

6 Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.

7 Bake the tart shell for 20 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the pastry cream

1 Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 1 ¼ cups/300 ml of the nondairy milk, the agave syrup, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

2 In a small cup or bowl, whisk the remaining ½ cup/120 ml of nondairy milk, and the arrowroot starch, and flour together to form a slurry. Pour into the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until quite thick.

3 Add the jam and vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until completely chilled.

4 Spread the pastry cream in the tart shell. Distribute the berries evenly over the top, pressing gently to embed them.

5 Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

6 In a cup or small bowl, whisk the jam and water together, then gently brush the mixture over the berries. Garnish with the orange zest, if desired.

7 Slice and serve chilled. Stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, the tart will keep for about 1 week.

Serves 8

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Excerpted from Sweet & Easy Vegan: Treats Made with Whole Grains and Natural Sweeteners by Robin Asbell. Copyright © 2012. Photography by Joseph De Leo. Excerpted with permission from Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.