Summer is here!!! Or it feels like it. The weather is beautiful and the tart pans have come out of hiding.  I am ready for light desserts, tarts and pies overflowing with fresh fruit and ice cream in every flavor, parfaits and picnics and whipped cream and…should I go on?  These are the delicious treats that come out of the vow to use the oven as seldom as possible during the hot summer days. To celebrate the warm weather I made blueberry tarts and tartlets.  Very simple and very elegant. And with a taste that takes me back in time to summertime desserts.

One thing I’m excited about this summer is the local farmer’s market. I had this craving for blueberry rhubarb pie over the weekend but with great disappointment I left the grocery store rhubarb-less.  Last year I had seen rhubarb at the farmer’s market but I still have a long wait until it opens in mid June. It’ll be hard but I’m going to be patient and wait those couple of weeks.  Here’s an interesting fact about rhubarb: its leaves are poisonous.  I found it shocking that I have never hear about this before, especially since my grandma use to grow them in her garden.  It’s a good idea to read up on ingredients before you use them.

Blueberry Tarts (Adapted from Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking):

Sweet Dough- enough for two 9 inch tarts or eight 4 inch tarts

Pastry Cream- enough for two 9 inch tarts or eight 4 inch tarts

Place 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened but still cool) in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until lightly creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and mix for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 large egg yolks (room temperature), one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add 3 cups all-purpose flour and mix until the dough just about comes together, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp. heavy cream, then pulse the mixer on low speed until the dough is smooth, about 15-30 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic film. Chill for at least 4 hours.  The dough will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.

When you remove the dough from the fridge it will be very hard.  To make it pliable enough to roll out, cut the dough into 8 pieces and gently knead each piece, then gather back together into 2 equal-size balls. Dust the work surface and the dough lightly with all-purpose flour. Roll out the dough, frequently dusting with flour and turning clockwise to prevent from sticking to the work surface, until the dough is 1/4 inch thick and 2-3 inches larger than the pan it’s going to bake in.  Wind the circle of dough around the rolling pin and lift it over the pan, then place it loosely inside.  Holding the edge of the dough up, ease the dough into the pan.  Gently press the dough into the corners.  Press off the excess dough by hand.

To prebake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven. Prick the bottom of the pastry shell a few times with a fork. Line the dough with a faux filling (pie weights or dry beans). Bake 15-18 minutes. Remove the faux filling and bake for 6-10 minutes more, or until deep golden brown. Cool on a rack before using.

To make the pastry cream, bring 2 cups milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped orange zest, and 1/2 split and scraped vanilla bean to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, sift together 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt onto a piece of parchment paper.  Whisk 5 large egg yolks (chilled) in a large bowl.  Add the sifted dry ingredients and whisk until fluffy. When the milk comes to a simmer, remove from the heat and ladle out 1/2 cup of the hot milk.  Drizzle it slowly into the eggs while whisking.  Once the 1/2 cup milk is incorporated into the eggs, pour the mixture back into the hot milk, whisking constantly. Immediately begin to rapidly whisk the pastry cream.  In less than 1 minute, it will boil and begin to thicken.  Continuing to whisk for about 3 minutes, or until it has the consistency of pudding.  To test the cream for doneness, tilt the saucepan to one side. The cream should pull away from the pan completely. Rinse and dry the large bowl.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh strainer back into the bowl.  Add 1 tbsp. unsalted butter (softened) and stir until it is melted and incorporated. If the cream seems grainy, pulse it in a food-processor until smooth.  The cream can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To finish, remove the baked tarts out of the tart pans. Spread half of the cooled pastry cream on one of the tarts or half of the tartlets.  Spread the rest of the pastry cream on the other tart or the rest of the tartlets. Decorate with blueberries or your favorite fruit.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.