sprinklefingers

it’s very difficult for me to can jam or fruit and then tuck it away for another day. normally i like to dig right in and enjoy the fruits (ahem) of my labors. yes, yes, i do realize that’s not exactly the point of preserving food. so, this year i made myself promise to preserve enough blueberries & cherries & other fruits of summer so that come january i really can enjoy a taste of the warmer months. i mean, if i’m getting all little house on the prairie on you, then i’d better not eat everything i’ve canned and instead focus on fresh now and canned this winter. right? whatever. this is getting confusing. and i’m hungry.

anyways, whether it’s summer or winter, baked fruit tarts are delicious. and now that i’ve shared with you recipes for crumbly top, preserved blueberries AND pie dough, you are ready to create your very own blueberry tarts (which really will be perfect in the dead of winter when you want a little blueberry pick-me-up.) and, really, can we just take a minute here to reflect on how awesome it is that you’ll soon be creating a fabulous dessert out of three items you (if you make them) have on hand? amen.

3-part blueberry crumble tarts
makes 8-10 3.5-4” tartlettes or one 8-10” tart.

you need:

• 1 recipe pie dough
• 1 jar preserved blueberries
• partial batch crumbly top, depending upon your love of the crumble
• flour for dusting
• tartlette or tart pans or a rimless baking sheet if making a freeform tart

make tartlettes:

1. if your dough has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for a bit. on a floured surface, roll out the dough as you would if you were making a pie.
2. once your dough is rolled out, cut it into smaller circles to fit your specific tartlette pans. if you are making a larger tart, simply roll the dough out a bit larger than the overall size of the tart pan.
3. using either a bench scraper or a very flat knife, ease the circles of cut dough up off the counter and fit them into your tart pans. we’re not looking for perfection here. often times i find myself simply pressing the dough into the pans - which you can do because, unlike a pie, these tarts won’t have a decorative edge that sticks up over the edge of the pan.
4. place the dough-filled tart pans on a sheet tray and refrigerate or freeze for a few minutes to relax the dough.
5. using your favorite spoon (okay, it doesn’t have to be your favorite,) place a mound of blueberries in the dough-filled tartlette pans (or larger tart pan.) the berries will cook down, so fill each pan up, but don’t fill them so that you won’t have room for your…
6. …crumbly top! after your blueberries are in the pans, adorn the top of each with as much crumbly top as you can handle. [i can handle a lot.]
7. bake the tartlettes at 375 for 15 minutes. after 15 minutes, open the oven door & inspect. as long as the pie dough isn’t over browning & the crumbly top is still pale, bake a bit longer, say 10 minutes, and check on them again. repeat.
8. the larger tart can bake at 375 for 30 minutes before you check on it. if the pie dough isn’t over browning, continue to bake for 10 more minutes and check again…repeat until things look perfect to you.

you can, obviously, forget the tart pans altogether and just throw together a freeform tart of any size - tiny to big. simply plop your filling in the center of the dough and fold the edges up around it. the ‘fun’ of this whole thing is that you’ve got the makings of a great dessert - it’s up to you to start playing and turn it into something great!

what i love most about all of this is that it really speaks to the whole mission of sprinklefingers - make a few key ingredients ahead and you can whip together a perfect dessert in no time flat. totally awesome.