Blueberry Chocolate Tart
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Dark chocolate, fresh blueberries married in a layered tart with crumbly, buttery crust. White chocolate whipped cream topping balances rich filling. A fruit jelly glaze seals the deal. Refined sugars dialed back. Simple swaps bring new depth and texture. Timings shifted, steps reshuffled to suit flow and maximize flavor. Familiar technique but with twists—brown butter crust, coconut milk for cream, lavender notes in the jelly. A delicate balance—watch the custard. Chill just right, or it falls apart. Layering matters; every element speaks with its own texture and temperature. Fruit garnish optional but such a showstopper. Keep it fresh, store tight, eat within a few days. Satisfaction guaranteed if you pay attention to cues and don’t rush.
Prep:
50 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
Servings:
10 servings
#French-Canadian
#dessert
#chocolate
#blueberries
#tart
#baking
Dark chocolate built with tangy blueberries. Crunchy browned butter base anchors it. Rich ganache-like filling but lighter with coconut cream, whispers of coconut lifting the dark. White chocolate cream brings softness, not sickly sweet. Blueberry jelly seals freshness, shines on top. Timings shifted for better texture control; no stone left unturned. Past tries left soggy crust or too stiff cream. This time, subtle twists add depth. Maple syrup instead of sugar, brown sugar in crust, dry labors into complexity. Technique matters —custard thickening, gentle melting, cool glazing—eye on feel over clock. Garnish with seasonal berries or flowers. Impressive, but honest. Not fuss but mindful.
Ingredients
Crust
- 196 g (1 1/2 cups) chocolate cookie crumbs
- 20 ml (1 1/3 tbsp) brown sugar raw
- 90 g (6 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
Dark chocolate filling
- 140 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries
- 200 g (7 oz) 60% dark chocolate, chopped
- 220 ml (7 1/2 oz) coconut cream
- 140 ml (1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp) whole milk
- 45 g (3 tbsp) maple syrup
- 3 large egg yolks
White chocolate chantilly
- 60 g (2 oz) white chocolate, chopped
- 130 ml (1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp) heavy whipping cream
Blueberry jelly glaze
- 6 ml (1 1/4 tsp) gelatin powder
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) cold water
- 12 ml (2 1/2 tsp) cornstarch
- 120 g (1/2 cup) blueberries
- 25 g (2 tbsp) honey
Garnish
- 50 g (1/3 cup) fresh blueberries
- 50 g (1/3 cup) blackberries (optional)
- Edible flowers (optional)
About the ingredients
Start with quality chocolate. Dark 60% hits balance for flavor and melting. White chocolate should be fresh; it breaks down fast. Brown butter changes crust; watch carefully or bitterness develops. Cookie crumbs can substitute any sturdy, chocolate biscuit. For cream, half coconut milk cuts richness without losing luscious mouthfeel. Sugar replaced mostly by maple syrup to add dimension and stop harsh sweetness. Bloom gelatin in cold water—skip or jelly fails. Cornstarch in blueberry glaze thickens smoothly, preventing grainy texture. Fresh blueberries essential, frozen never quite the same—release water. Edible flowers optional but elevate presentation and aroma. Blackberries optional for tartness; I like the extra earthiness. Keep ingredients cold when mixing creams to avoid breaking. Always taste custard mixture before pouring; adjust sweetness or add tiny pinch salt to brighten. Work efficiently but don’t rush delicate custard or glaze steps.
Method
Crust
- 1 Place rack mid-oven. Preheat to 175°C (345°F). Butter a 26 cm (10 in) loose-bottom tart pan.
- 2 Brown butter until nutty aroma, some foam, then cool a bit. Mix cookie crumbs, brown sugar, fleur de sel in bowl. Pour in browned butter; combine until sandy, press firmly on pan base and sides. Use flat-bottom cup for even, tight compaction. No gaps. Bake about 15 min until toasted edges. Cool 25-30 min until solid with no wobble.
Dark chocolate filling
- 3 Arrange berries evenly over crust base.
- 4 Chop dark chocolate, place in heatproof bowl.
- 5 Warm coconut cream, milk, maple syrup gently in saucepan. Whisk in egg yolks off heat quickly, then heat gently over low, stirring constantly until mixture lightly thickens. Should coat back of a spoon but NOT scramble eggs. Remove immediately when you see ribbon hold.
- 6 Pour custard over chocolate; do not stir for 90 sec so residual heat melts chocolate softly. Then whisk smooth; glossy, velvety, no lumps. Pour slowly over berries and crust.
- 7 Chill min 2 hours or until firm but not hard. Texture should yield slightly to finger pressure, no jiggle.
White chocolate chantilly
- 8 Place white chocolate in medium bowl.
- 9 Heat cream to just boil, pour over chocolate. Let sit 1-2 min, then whisk gently until glossy and smooth. Cover and chill min 90 min. Mixture may be thick and cold but not firm-set.
Blueberry jelly glaze
- 10 Sprinkle gelatin on 20 ml cold water, let bloom 5-6 min.
- 11 Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 10 ml water.
- 12 In small saucepan, bring 120 g blueberries and honey to simmer. Crush berries with back of spoon, blend with hand blender until smooth. Strain through fine sieve, pressing to yield max juice. Discard solids.
- 13 Reheat strained juice gently in saucepan, stir in cornstarch slurry, simmer gently whisking until visibly thickened and shiny. Off heat, fold in gelatin until fully dissolved.
- 14 Cool glaze 5-7 min until no longer hot but still pourable.
- 15 Pour carefully over chilled dark chocolate filling; spread evenly with offset spatula. Return to fridge at least 1 hour until set but still glossy.
Assembly and finishing
- 16 Beat white chocolate chantilly using chilled bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Overwhipping leads to graininess and loss of silkiness. Transfer to piping bag fitted with star tip.
- 17 Pipe decorative rosettes on tart surface. Distribute fresh blueberries, blackberries if using, space out to balance. Scatter edible flowers if desired for visual pop.
- 18 Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a cake dome to avoid drying out. Store in fridge max 3 days. Best eaten same day for crisp crust and vibrant jelly.
- 19 Bring out 20 min before serving to release flavors and soften cream. Watch how fruit and chocolate aromas open up.
Practical tips
- Brown butter instead of plain butter in crust adds nuttiness, complexity. Coconut cream replaces some dairy, smooth mouthfeel, slight tropical hint. Maple syrup swaps refined sugar, deeper sweetness. Bloom gelatin properly or glaze sets unevenly.
- Watch egg custard carefully; once it thickens slightly, pull from heat fast or risk scrambled eggs. Using residual heat to melt chocolate ensures glossy texture. Let crust cool fully before adding custard to avoid sogginess.
- If chantilly separates, whisk in small splash hot cream to bring back together, but take care not to warm too much. For crust crumbs, chocolate wafers, or digestive biscuits work fine if chocolate cookie crumbs unavailable.
- Gelée requires gentle simmer and constant whisk to avoid lumps. Strain thoroughly—texture matters. If glaze cools too much, warm gently before pouring (but not hot).
- When piping chantilly, chill piping tip if warm kitchen. Moisture, heat dismantle peaks fast.
- If lacking edible flowers, thin strips of lemon zest add crisp brightness.
- Track textures over times given; visual and tactile cues more reliable than clock. This tart demands patience. Watch and listen: soft crackle from baking crumbs, subtle glossy sheen on glaze before chilling. The richness should balance freshness—too cold risks dull flavors.
- Keep plated slices steady—this tart is delicate, but well done it rewards with layers of flavor and texture unlike any one-note dessert.
Cooking tips
Arrange tasks by temperatures and chilling moments for flow and best results. Browning butter for crust adds aroma; do this first, cool completely to avoid melting crumbs. Mix crust well; pressing is key for structure. Baking crust till slightly darkened, not just dried out. Custard needs patient whisking on low heat, not boiling or curdling—thicken until just coats spoon back. Melt chocolate with residual heat to avoid graininess; patience pays. Blueberry jelly needs constant whisk, gradual thickening—too hot gelatin melts, too cold it clumps. Pour glaze gently to not disturb filling beneath. Whip white chocolate chantilly last; temperature sensitive. Pipe decoratively but don’t overwhip or it breaks. Chill time essential at every step to firm layers without cracking. Garnish just before serving or risk wilting flowers. Let tart rest outside fridge 15-20 min before slicing for best texture and flavor release. Use chilled sharp knife, wipe blade between cuts to clean slices. Expect slight wobble in filling when chilled; it sets after plating. Timing guidelines flexible, adjust based on kitchen conditions and ingredient freshness. Watch textures and aromas for clues throughout—more than any stopwatch tells you.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Brown butter till nutty aroma, small foam bubbles. Cool fully before mixing crumbs or crust gets greasy, dense, won’t bind right. Press crumbs tight using flat cup—or tart edges crack. Timing crust bake till toasted edges but not brown. Cool completely before filling. Watch crust texture by tapping; no wobble means firm enough.
- 💡 Custard off heat whisking. Egg yolks vulnerable to heat spikes, jump quickly to low simmer. Look for slight thickening, coating spoon’s back, slow ribbon hold. Stop immediately when you see the ribbon stage. Stop too late, eggs scramble; too early no set. Residual heat melts chocolate; no stirring 90 seconds. Chocolate melts slow, textures glossy, no lumps.
- 💡 When melting white chocolate, pour hot cream just off boil, let sit 1-2 minutes before whisking gently. Don’t rush or it splits. Chill at least 90 minutes but cream should not firm set. Overwhip chantilly make grainy, no silk. Use chilled bowl and whisk; moisture ruins peaks fast. If chantilly breaks, small hot cream splash can bring it back but careful not to warm too much overall.
- 💡 Bloom gelatin in cold water minimum 5 minutes, no hot water here. Bloom properly or glaze sets unevenly or clumpy mess. Cornstarch dissolved in rest of water prevents grainy juice thickening. Blueberries simmer crushed till soft; strain well with fine sieve pressing solids to get max juice. Too much pulp ruins glaze clarity and texture. Glaze cool 5-7 min until pourable but not hot else melts custard glaze layer.
- 💡 Blueberries fresh only. Frozen release too much water; mess texture. Crust crumbs can swap chocolate wafers or digestive biscuits. Maple syrup replaces refined sugar deeper flavor but adjust sweetness as sap level varies. When piping spread rosettes evenly but avoid overfilling or crush berries under chantilly weight. Serve chilled but bring out 15-20 min before cutting for soft cream aroma and juicy fruit release.
Common questions
How to avoid scrambled egg custard?
Low heat only. Whisk off heat first. Stop when mixture coats spoon back with slow ribbon. Watch for texture change not clock. Stir constantly after reheat; if scrambled, toss batch. Egg yolks tough.
Can I swap coconut cream?
Half coconut milk works. Full fat better mouthfeel but lighter mix ok. Avoid watery cans. Using just dairy makes thicker firmer custard but tastes different. Coconut adds subtle tropical hint; no flavor clash.
Blueberry glaze too runny?
Gelatin bloom key. Skipping or using warm water means glaze not firm set. Check cornstarch slurry mix. Too hot glaze clumps or melts layers below. Chill glaze before pouring; won’t spread right hot.
Storing leftovers?
Wrap tart loose plastic or cake dome fridge max 3 days. Chantilly dries fast loose; berries soften. Bring out about 20 min before; softens cream and releases berry aroma. Can freeze crust separately but filling textures suffer.
