The key to a fabulous blueberry tart is picking the most ripe and succulent blueberries to use in the tart. Often it is even a good idea to purchase more containers of blueberries than will obviously be needed so that they can be sorted through and only the best berries will be used for the tart. While many other recipes containing blueberries have the berries as a supplemental ingredient, the focal point of the blueberry tart is of course the berries, so they must be carefully considered and chosen. Along with the berries, the pastry shell is key to the success of the blueberry tart.
Blueberry tarts are best made when blueberries are in season. The reason for this is twofold. First, the berries are much plumper and juicier when purchased in season. Second, making a blueberry tart of a blueberry pie out of season can be cost prohibitive, as purchasing ample blueberries for the tart can become quite costly.
Once the blueberries have been chosen, it is time to concentrate on the pastry shell, the second key to a successful blueberry tart. Once the dough is made, it must be chilled for at least an hour prior to rolling it out. The reason the pastry dough must be chilled is that the butter, which is used in the dough, must be allowed to return to a set state.
Before rolling out the dough, flour the work space sparsely, as too much flour will cause the dough to toughen as it cooks. As the dough is rolled out, to prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the dough. The dough should be rolled out to about an inch on all sides larger than the tart pan that will be used.
Press the dough very lightly to the sides of the pan, and do not mash it into corners. Prick the bottom of the dough that lies on the pan. This allows the air to escape during the baking process without causing the crust to bubble or to rise irregularly. Before baking, place the dough-filled pan in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes so that the butter can return to a set state, as it will have warmed during the rolling and placing process. After the dough is chilled, blind bake the dough so that it will not have raised or irregular areas. When the pastry is cooked, fill it with the blueberries for a wonderful blueberry tart.
