Butter and baking go hand-in-hand and if you haven’t tried browning butter first, before incorporating it into a recipe, you don’t know what you are missing. Brown butter is simply melting butter on the stove top and allowing the milk solids to become a nutty colored hue. The butter taste changes slightly and intensifies into a silky brown liquid, which almost resembles a rustic caramel flavor.
The process of browning butter is simple and as I see it, should be considered for most baked goods. Using brown butter in a tart filling, along with some fresh fruit is like pairing an apple with cheese, the contrast is amazing. The plump juicy fruit becomes encapsulated into a warm glove of egg-like custard that comforts your mouth with every forkful.
When I was young we had a blackberry bush in our yard. I remember during the hot summer months, I couldn’t wait for the berries to ripen. Most of the time, I didn’t wait until somebody guided me to pick from the thorny bush, me and my siblings would just eat them at random during play after washing them clean with a hose, or sometimes not – the dirt never changed how luscious they tasted.
Blackberries with their deep purple color are a must this time of year and if you haven’t tasted a fresh basketful of these beauties in a while, you don’t know what you are in for. When I think of perfect fruit, it usually comes in a berry form, so utilize them while you can, especially in a summer dessert – like this tart recipe.
I love to dust the top of this tart with powdered sugar, not that I think it necessarily needs it, but because I enjoy the finality of baking. There is something truly satisfying about watching the white sugar fall through the cracks of a sieve upon a dessert like this, it’s truly lovely.
Ingredients
Crust
7 tablespoons butter, melted in microwave
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
pinch of salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
powdered sugar, optional
(Makes 9-inch Tart)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust – in a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and salt and mix until it begins to come together.
2. Pour crust into a 9-inch tart pan and press evenly into bottom and up sides. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges and center are golden brown, remove and cool. Reduce heat on oven to 350 degrees.
4. On the stove top, place butter into a skillet and set over medium heat, watch butter melt and brown to a golden tan color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in pan.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, salt and flour. Pour in brown butter, whisk. Place blackberries in bottom of cooled crust.
5. Pour filling over top and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until filling is set and lightly golden brown. Remove tart from oven and let cool for 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar and slice. Enjoy!
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