Enjoy the delicacy of the Queen of Hearts’ stolen tarts with these blackberry earl grey tarts!
A Culinary Journey in Wonderland
Alice’s adventures in Wonderland begin in pursuit of the White Rabbit and down the rabbit hole. From there, she savours and samples various foods in Wonderland, while simultaneously growing and shrinking with each new treat.
In honour of Lewis Carroll’s whimsical and non-sensical story, let us journey to Wonderland for a culinary adventure and a delightful feast. Together, we will explore the cakes Alice tasted, both sweet and savoury, the intriguing mushroom of the Caterpillar’s forest home, the mysterious stolen tarts of the King and Queen of Hearts, and more! So let’s begin.
Who Stole the Tarts?
Leaving the Mad Hatter tea party, Alice stumbles upon the Queen of Hearts’ croquet ground. It isn’t long after meeting the King and Queen of Hearts that the terrible deed occurs and the Queen’s tarts are stolen. The Queen is so outraged that a trial is held to discover who it was that stole her tarts.
The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!
-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Chapter 11: Who Stole the Tarts)
If the Queen of Heart’s tarts were anything like these blackberry earl grey tarts, then it’s no wonder they were stolen. The shell is made with a sweet and buttery tart dough and baked until golden brown. Fresh blackberries are blended into a tangy, jammy filling and spooned into the bottom of the tarts. An earl grey scented pastry cream is lightened with whipped cream and generously swirled over the blackberry filling. One bite and you will understand why these delectable tarts were stolen!
Ingredients
Blackberries: The blackberry filling for these tarts can be made using either fresh or frozen blackberries. If using frozen, allow the berries to thaw before blending.
Earl grey tea: Fragrant earl grey tea adds a subtle flavour to the pastry cream. Earl grey gets its distinctive flavour from the addition of bergamot orange, a fragrant slightly bitter citrus. Steep two tea bags in the milk for the pastry cream.
Vanilla bean: I love the flavour of whole vanilla beans, however you could substitute with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
HOw to Make Blackberry Earl grey Tarts
Make the blackberry filling
Blend the blackberries in a food processor. Pour the berries into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Using a spatula, work the blended berries through the strainer until only the seeds are left. Scrape any excess purée from the bottom of the strainer, then transfer the purée to a small saucepan and discard the seeds.
In a small cup, combine the water and gelatin. Set aside to bloom. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Whisk the dry ingredients into the blackberry purée along with the lemon juice and turn the heat to medium low. Cook, whisking constantly, until the purée begins to bubble and thicken.
Add the bloomed gelatin to the cooked blackberry purée and stir until it melts into the purée. Pour the filling into a bowl and place a piece of cling film directly on the surface of the jelly. Chill for at least 6 hours or until cold and the filling is thickened.
Make the earl grey pastry cream
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the vanilla bean and tea bags and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 20 to 30 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixtures thickens. Whisk in the cornstarch and kosher salt. The mixture should be thick and pale yellow.
After steeping, remove the vanilla bean and tea bags. Rewarm the milk over medium heat. Add a splash of the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture and whisk together. Continue adding the milk to the egg yolks a little bit at a time, whisking to incorporate each time. When you have added at least half of the hot milk, transfer the yolk mixture to the saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. The pastry cream is done when it begins to bubble and is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. Place a piece of cling film directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold.
Make the tart shell dough
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and kosher salt. Pulse to mix. Add the diced cold butter and pulse until the butter resembles small peas. Whisk together the egg yolk and water. Pour into the food processor while pulsing. Continue pulsing until the dough begins to stick together in small clumps.
Dump the dough mixture onto the counter and use your hands to press it together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Bake the tart shells
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray 10 individual 3-3/4 inch tart pans with non-stick spray. Alternatively, use a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom. On a lightly floured counter, roll out the tart dough to 1/6 inch thickness. This is a tender dough – if it tears, press the dough back together again.
Cut the dough into circles slightly larger than the tart pans. Line the pans with the dough, pressing to fix any cracks. Cut the dough off around the top of the ring and prick the dough several times with a fork. Transfer the tart pans to a baking sheet. Line each tart shell with a piece of foil and add dried beans or pie weights.
Bake the tarts for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights. Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes until the tart shells are lightly browned and cooked through. Let cool and then remove from the tart rings.
Assemble the tarts
Whip the cream until it has stiff peaks. Add one third of the whipped cream to the pastry cream and whisk until smooth. The pastry cream will be stiff but whisk until it is smooth with no lumps. Add the remaining whipped cream and lightly whisk just until mixed. Transfer the pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a V-shape tip, such as an Ateco #883 tip. Alternatively, a star shaped tip could be used or the pastry cream can be spooned into the shell.
Spoon a layer of blackberry filling in the bottom of the tart shells. Pipe the pastry cream decoratively over the filling. Chill until ready to serve.
Serve the Blackberry Earl Grey Tarts
Garnish the tarts with fresh blackberries. Enjoy!
