Buttermilk Tart with Lemon and Berries (Curtis Stone)

"This tart tastes like yogurt!"

I was surprised after having my first bite of this tart. The tart filling really tastes like yogurt and it is really very nice...

Excited over a tart recipe? You might ask... Are you crazy? I must admit that I'm little "crazy" with all my baking habits... At first glance, I thought that this tart recipe seems unique. Most baked fruit tart recipes that I came across use mainly eggs and cream for their fillings but this one seems atypical using buttermilk as its "custard" filling. 

Why buttermilk? You might ask... It has a lower fat content and a nice tangy taste but how buttermilk works in this recipe? I can clearly see the answer now. In this recipe, buttermilk gives the tart a nice tangy taste with light and yet creamy custard-y texture. Ultimately, it feels like eating a creamy berry yogurt with a tart base.

Berry yogurt on tart base? Then, can I serve yogurt on tart base? Will that be the same? You might ask and I like to ask myself these question too. I wonder if serving fresh yogurt on tart base can make shortcrust pastry go soggy but clearly this recipe has not. The sweetness, taste and texture of this tart is in great balance and wouldn't suggest any further modification in its sugar content and other ingredients if you are going to use this recipe.  

Everything seems so perfect for this bake but I reckon that this bake still need a tiny tiny room for improvement... Please blame me for being a little idealistic for my bakes. As it is winter now at down-under Melbourne, fresh berries are not easily available at this time of the year. Although frozen and thawed berries in this case has worked well for my bake, I reckon baking this with any fresh seasonal berries will be ultimately perfect. If you have any fresh berries in your garden or fridge now, this will be your perfect opportunity to bake this delicious tart...

My buttermilk tart with lemon and berries

Rolling out the tart pastry

Baking and cooling the tart pastry

Making the tart filling

Assembling them all and baking it...

The tart with slightly cracked surface looks exactly like the tart featured in the Coles magazine!

Soft, gooey, fruity and yogurt-y filling

Very delicious with its buttery tart base!

Here's the recipe from Coles
(with my modification and notes in blue)

1 1/3 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
115g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk  
(I used 1 yolk for 2/3 of the recipe)
2 tbsp iced water
(I didn't use this)

Filling
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup caster sugar
60g unsalted butter, melted
(reduced to 25g for 2/3 of the recipe)
3 large egg yolks
2 tbsp plain four
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
125 g fresh blueberries
125 g fresh raspberries
(replaced both with 300g frozen and thawed mixed berries for 2/3 of the recipe) 
2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting

Combine flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse just until it resembles coarse crumbs (I did this by hand). Add egg yolk and water (I didn't add any water), and pulse again until a ball starts to form (I did this by hand). Transfer the dough to a work surface and form the dough into a flat disc. Wrap pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr and up to 1 day.

Unwrap pastry and roll out on a lightly floured surface, rotating it and dusting the surface with flour to prevent the pastry from sticking, until it is 2-3mm thick. Brush away excess flour. Place the rolling pin on the edge of the pastry farthest away from you, and gently and loosely roll the pastry around the pin toward you, until half of it is on the pin. Lift the pin over the edge of a 25cm greased loose-based tart pan. Unroll the pastry over the pan, draping and centering it over the pan. Lightly press the pastry into the pan, patching any cracks. Trim the edges a little, allowing a small overhang (2-3cm). Cover and refrigerate for 30 mins. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175°C or 155°C fan forced.

Place tart pan on a baking tray. Lay a sheet of baking paper over the pastry and cover the paper with pie weights or rice. Bake pastry for 25 mins, or until set around the edges. Remove baking paper and weights. Continue baking pastry for 5 mins, or until golden brown around the edge. Gently trim pastry edge to meet the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely.

To make the buttermilk filling: Combine buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, egg yolks, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is very smooth.

Arrange the berries over the cooled pastry. Pour the filling over the berries and give the pan a gentle jiggle to make sure the berries are coated.

Bake for 30 mins, or until the filling is just set in the centre. Cool completely. Sift the icing sugar over the top. Cut into wedges and serve.

Note: Using 2/3 of the recipe and a 19cm loose based tart pan, I have baked my tart pastry at 155°C fan forced for 25 mins with baking weights and an extra 5 mins without baking weights. Then, the tart filling was baked at 155°C fan forced for 30 mins.

Happy Baking
Please support me and like me at Facebook...