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f you like blackberries, this is a recipe made for you! I’m making super yummy blackberry and lemon mini tarts!
A Few Words About Blackberries
So, the hero of my educational intro for this video is – blackberry. And a real hero it is, I can tell you that! This humble fruit is extremely healthy, it tastes great and looks amazing, all black and shiny, just beautiful! Now hear this – there are only 43 calories in 100 grams (3.5oz) of blackberries! Only 43 calories, imagine that! But, that is not all, not by far! Blackberries are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2 B3 and B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K. The mineral wealth of blackberries includes calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. The health benefits of blackberries also include better digestive health, strengthened immune defense, healthy functioning of the heart and prevention of cancer!
One of the earliest known instances of blackberry consumption comes from the remains of the Haraldskær Woman, the naturally preserved bog body of a Danish woman, approximately 2.500 years old. How do we know that she ate blackberries? Well, forensic investigation found blackberries in her stomach contents, among other foods! Amazing! The use of blackberry plants for medicinal purposes has a long history all over the world. Ancient Greeks, other European people, and Native Americans used the various parts of the plant for different treatments. Chewing the leaves used to treat mouth problems, such as bleeding gums and canker sores. Tea brewed from leaves, roots, and bark was also used to treat pertussis, a nasty lung disease, also known as whooping cough.
Did you know that blackberry fruits are red before they are ripe? That led to an old expression that “blackberries are red when they’re green”. Funny, right? But wait, there are also red colored blackberries, and sometimes they may be difficult to distinguish from raspberries. One sure way to tell them apart is that when the blackberry is picked it comes away from the plant with its core intact. However, when a raspberry is picked, it leaves the core behind, thus having a hole in the middle. Just in case you were wondering, hehe!
My Blackberry and Lemon Mini Tarts
To make my blackberry and lemon mini tarts I am using squared perforated tart rings. First I will make shortcrust pastry, the same I used for making strawberry and white chocolate tarts or irresistible gourmet chocolate and hazelnut tarts!
Once I line the tart rings and bake them, I will leave them to cool down completely. Then I will cover their bottom with blackberry jelly. When my jelly freezes, I will pour white chocolate and lemon ganache until I fill the tart to the top. Next, I’ll make blackberry mousse, and I will pour it into truncated square pyramid silicone mold. I will place frozen blackberry mousse onto the ganache, and then I will decorate my tarts with fresh blackberries and some flowers. So, let’s get to work! :)
Blackberry and Lemon Mini Tarts Recipe
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 45 minutes
Cook time : 15 minutes
Ready in 60 minutes plus cooling
Level : Advanced
Ingredients: Almond Shortcrust Pastry:- All purpose flour 200g (7oz)
- Almond flour 20g (0.7oz)
- Powdered sugar 50g (1.8oz)
- Butter 125g (4.4oz)
- Vanilla powder
- Egg yolks 30g (1oz or 2 small egg yolks)
- Blackberry puree 100g (3.5oz)
- Sugar 30g (1oz)
- Gelatin 3g (1.5 sheets)
- White Chocolate 170g (6oz)
- Cream (35%) 85g (3oz)
- Lemon zest 6g (1.5Tsp)
- Blackberry puree 50g (1.8oz)
- Sugar 30g (1oz)
- Gelatin 3g (1.5 sheets)
- Cream (35%) 200g (7oz)
- Fresh blackberries
- Flowers
- To make shortcrust pastry place sifted flour into a large bowl. Add sifted almond flour, powdered sugar and vanilla powder, and stir with a whisk. Then, add cold butter cut in cubes, and rub the dry ingredients into the butter with your fingertips until you get crumbly mixture. Add egg yolks, and make the dough. Wrap it in plastic foil and put it in the fridge for about one hour.
- Place one piece of parchment paper onto the counter and put one half of the dough onto it. Press it with your fingers to flatten it a bit. Then, put another piece of parchment paper onto the dough and press it to stick to it. Roll out the dough to 3mm (1/8″) thickness using an adjustable rolling pin. Roll from the center towards one end, at the same time holding the opposite side of the paper with your hand, so the paper doesn’t slide or wrinkle. Put everything in the freezer for about 20 minutes to chill. Repeat the procedure with remaining pastry.
- Cut chilled pastry into approximately 4cm (about 1.5″) wide, and approximately 28cm (11″) long strips for the sides of your tarts using a pizza wheel. Put the pastry in the fridge.
- I’m using 7cmx7cm (3″x3″) square perforated tart rings. Cut out squares for the bottom of your tarts. The squares need to be about 6mm (1/4″) smaller than the tart rings so trim them using your 6.4cmx6.4cm (2.5″x2.5″) template that you can make out of paper.
- Put tart rings onto a perforated silicone mat, and first line the sides of your tarts with pastry strips. Then, insert the pastry squares into the molds and smooth the interior with your fingers. Remove the excess pastry from the sides of the tart using a small knife, and then put everything in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Before baking dock the bottom of your tarts with a fork. Then, bake them at 170°C (340°F) for about 12-15 minutes. Brush baked tarts with egg wash and put them back in the oven for another 2 minutes. Then leave them to cool down completely.
- To make blackberry jelly soak gelatin in cold water. As soon as the gelatin softens, take it out and squeeze to get rid of the excess water. Put blackberry puree into a bowl. Add sugar and stir with a whisk. Heat up this mixture in the microwave. Add soaked gelatin into hot puree and stir until it melts. Leave this mixture to cool down a bit. Pour your jelly into the tarts until you cover their bottom, and then put them in the freezer until the jelly sets completely.
- To make white chocolate and lemon ganache, put lemon zest into the cream and stir well with a whisk. Heat up this mixture in the microwave. Then, cover it with cling film and leave it for about 30 minutes to infuse. Melt white chocolate in the microwave on low heat and strain the cream into the melted chocolate. Stir well with a whisk until the ganache becomes uniform. Put ganache into a piping bag without tip, and pipe it onto the frozen jelly until you fill the tarts all the way to the top. Shake the tarts to distribute the ganache evenly, and then put everything in the freezer until it sets.
- To make blackberry mousse soak gelatin in cold water. As soon as the gelatin softens, take it out and squeeze to get rid of the excess water. Put blackberry puree into a bowl. Add sugar and stir with a whisk. Heat up this mixture in the microwave. Add soaked gelatin into the hot puree and stir until it melts. Leave this mixture to cool down a bit.
- Whisk cream in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Pour lukewarm blackberry mixture into the whipped cream, and stir with a whisk until incorporated. Put mousse into a piping bag without tip, and fill truncated square pyramid silicone molds all the way to the top. Smooth the mousse using a small spatula, and put everything in the freezer until it sets.
- Take frozen mousse out of the silicone mold. Then, place it onto the tarts. Decorate your tarts with fresh blackberries, and some flowers.
- There, your delicious blackberry and lemon tarts are done! Enjoy!
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