Blueberry Cornmeal Shortbread Tart

This is simple and delicious and when the blueberry season comes in you will be ready!!  If you can, please use the weights.  More accurate.  Unfortunately the link works only if you have a subscription to New York Times cooking.  I’m sorry.

Blueberry Cornmeal Shortbread Tart by Alison Roman

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (190 grams)

1/3 cup cornmeal (55 grams)

1/3 cup confectioners sugar (50 grams)

1/4 cup light brown sugar (55 grams)

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly (170 grams/1-1/2 sticks)

for the filling:

1 pound blueberries

1/2 cup light brown sugar (110 grams)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice (I opted for the lemon juice)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

small pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crust and topping:  in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, confectioners sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add melted butter, then using your hands or a wooden spoon (I used a rubber spatula) combine ingredients until no dry spots remain.

Using a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom (I used her alternative, a spring form pan.  She suggests a 9 inch springform pan, I only have a 10 inch and it worked out fine.  You then line the springform pan with parchment paper), press half the cornmeal mixture on the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan (I barely made 1/2 inch up the sides but it worked out fine.  Don’t stress.)  Reserve the remaining mixture.

To make the filling:  toss the blueberries, brown sugar, vinegar or lemon juice (I used lemon juice), flour and salt together in a medium bowl.  Pour the fruit into the crust.

Then crumble the remaining cornmeal mixture over the blueberries, pressing bits of the mixture together into large clumps as you go,.

Place pan on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake tart until the blueberry filling is bubbly and thickened, and both the crust and top are nicely browned about 1 hour 10 minutes. ( Alison has the baking time as 40 to 45 minutes.  Maybe in your oven this would be the correct time.  But it took over an hour for me.  When first making it, try the 45 minutes first and if not brown enough, add time in 10 minutes increments until it’s brown.)

Let tart cool completely before serving. (If using a springform pan, cool completely and then remove sides before serving.)

butter, dry ingredients, lined 10 inch springform pan:

melt butter, whisk dry ingredients:

combine butter and dry ingredients:

press half of mixture into springform pan, going up sides:

filling:  blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, flour, salt:

add blueberry filling onto to crust:

crumble the other half of topping on top of the blueberry filling:

bake until browned:

yum!

Blueberry Cornmeal Shortbread Tart by Alison Roman