Blackberry Tarts with a Hazelnut Pastry Crust

Homemade blackberry tarts with hazelnut pastry cases on wooden board.

5 from 1 vote

Blackberry Tarts with a Hazelnut Pastry Crust

Make the most of late summer and early autumn blackberries with these indulgent blackberry tarts. Fold blackberry curd into a mix of mascarpone and whipped double cream to make a luscious, fruit filling then spoon it into crisp, nutty pastry crusts made with spelt flour and hazelnuts. And if you don't have blackberry curd, you can use any fruit curd you like.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Keyword: blackberries, fruit curd, hazelnuts, mascarpone, wholemeal spelt flour

Servings: tarts

Calories: 362kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment

Ingredients

Pastry

125 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat) (I used spelt)
1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
40 g icing sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
60 g unsalted butter fridge cold and cut into cubes
25 g hazelnuts roasted
1 egg white

Filling

125 g mascarpone cheese
50 ml double cream (heavy cream)
4 tbsp blackberry curd or fruit curd of your choosing
blackberries for decoration

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pastry

In a large bowl, rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
125 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat), 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt, 40 g icing sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 60 g unsalted butter
Grind the hazelnuts into a meal in a food processor or coffee grinder, then stir into the flour mix.
25 g hazelnuts
Make a well in the centre and add the egg white. Depending on the size of your egg, you may need a splash of water too. Mix together with a flat-bladed knife.
1 egg white
Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. If it's still too crumbly, add another splash of water. But be careful not to make the dough wet.
Shape into a flattish disc and cover in wax wrap or a plastic bag and place in the fridge to rest for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
Roll the dough out thinly to about 3-4 mm (⅛ inch) and cut circles just big enough to fill a 10 cm (4 inch) loose bottomed fluted tart tin.
Press the pastry circles into 6 buttered tart tins and trim the tops with a knife. Gather any offcuts and roll again as necessary.
Place the tarts on a baking tray and prick the bottoms in several places with a fork.
Bake for 10 minutes in the middle of the oven or until lightly golden, then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Filling

Meanwhile mix the mascarpone cheese with the fruit curd in a bowl until smooth.
125 g mascarpone cheese, 4 tbsp blackberry curd
Whip the cream until you get soft peaks, then stir carefully into the blackberry mixture until just combined.
50 ml double cream (heavy cream)
Carefully remove the pastry cases from the tins and place on a board.
Divide the blackberry curd mixture between the six tart cases and level.
Decorate with as many fresh blackberries as you see fit.
blackberries

Notes

To get ahead you can make these tarts in advance. The tart cases will keep in a sealed container for 3-4 days. The filling will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days. It's best to assemble and add the blackberries just before serving though or the pastry will soften.

Go with whatever type or flavour of fruit curd you like. Homemade or shop bought are both fine, but the colour of the curd will affect the colour of your tarts. Lemon curd pairs really well with fresh blackberries, both in flavour and colour contrast.

Use any leftover pastry to make little biscuits to decorate the tarts or just eat on their own.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition