Saskatoon Berry Tart
For the pâte sablée crust:
- 85 grams (7 tablespoons) sugar
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) chilled butter
- 170 grams (6 ounces, about 1 1/3 cups) flour
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cold milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and lightly grease a shallow 28-cm (11-inch) tart pan, preferably one with a removable bottom.
Place the 85 grams sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until fluffy. Add in the flour and mix briefly, just until the dough forms coarse crumbs. Add the vinegar and milk and process in a few short pulses just to incorporate: the mixture will not come together into a ball and will remain crumb-like, but it should clump if you pinch it with your fingers. Add a drop more milk if it's not the case. The mixture will also smell alarmingly vinegary; rest assured this will disappear completely in the baking.
Pour the mixture into the tart pan and spread it evenly to cover the surface of the pan. Pat it down to pack it gently, creating a low rim all around. Don't worry too much about the shape or evenness of it; it's more important not to overwork the dough. Put in the oven to blind-bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set and very lightly golden around the edges.
For the filling:
- 500 grams (2 1/2 cups) Saskatoon berries, fresh or frozen (substitute blueberries, blackberries, or a mix thereof, with an optional handful of fresh blackcurrants)
- 25 grams (1/4 cup) almond meal (almonds ground to a fine powder)
- 25 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar
- 1 egg
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) whipping cream
In the meantime, toss the berries (no need to thaw if frozen) with the 25 grams sugar and the powdered almonds. Remove the pan from the oven, pour in the berry mixture evenly in the crust shell, leaving a small margin all around, and return to the oven for 15 minutes (18 minutes if the berries were frozen).
Remove the pan from the oven. Whisk the egg and cream together in a small bowl and pour evenly over the berries. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before serving.