Alex Petit's classic blueberry & almond tart
Ingredients
Serves 10Prep time: 20 minutesCooking time: 35 minutes
1 shop-bought sweet pastry
125g caster sugar
125g butter, softened and diced
2 large eggs
200g ground almonds
½ teaspoon almond extract
250g fresh blueberries
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 170°C fan / gas mark 5.
Lightly grease a 10-inch tart tin.
Roll out the pastry, fit it into the tart tin, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut a circle of parchment paper and place it on top of the chilled pastry. Add baking beans or rice as weights and bake at 170°C for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden.
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Scrape the mixture down to the bottom of the bowl using a rubber spatula.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Add the ground almonds and almond extract, and mix to combine.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in half of the blueberries, taking care not to crush them.
Pour the almond mixture into the tart shell, smooth the top with a metal spatula, and scatter over the remaining blueberries.
Bake for 25 minutes, then check if the centre is cooked. If not, bake for a further 5–10 minutes.
Allow the tart to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving dish.
Serve warm with custard or Chantilly cream.
Chef's TipsExtra depth: Toast the ground almonds in the oven for 10 minutes before starting the mixture.Lift the flavours: Add the zest of an orange or lemon to cut through the richness.Fresh berries: Fresh blueberries work best, as they release less juice than frozen one
