Blueberry caramel shortbread tart

One of our favorite places to travel is Italy. Some of our favorite trips have been to Venice, Rome and when we went sailing last Summer in Cinque Terre.

When Hugo heard about a café in Paris that specializes in Tiramisu – WE ARE TIRAMISU – we had to go! ♥ We put the leashes on the dogs and head out towards the 17th arrondissement and the rue Bayen.

WE ARE TIRAMISU
10 rue Bayen
75017 Paris

www.wearetiramisu.com

WE ARE TIRAMISU is a “tiramisu bar” and features 9 different kinds of tiramisu with all kinds of original ingredients and flavors including yuzu, Grand Marnier, Dulce de Lecce, caramel, lime, and raspberry to name a few!

We treated ourselves to a yuzu – jasmine – lime tiramisu and Limoncello – lemon curd – raspberries tiramisu. They were amaaaaazing and we enjoyed every bite! ♥ We also loved that the spoons are heart shaped and that we were able to order delicious Italian coffee – risretto.

It was a beautiful day and when we left WE ARE TIRAMISU, we enjoyed a beautiful walk through the Parc Monceau.

On the way home, we discussed our next baking adventure…

We were inspired to create a new tart using tiramisu ingredients, specifically, mascarpone, and berries like the raspberries we had tasted at WE ARE TIRAMISU.

We had seen delicious blueberries the day before at the health food store, so we decided to make a tart with shortbread pastry, a layer of blueberry caramel and mascarpone meringue filling! This is the yummy result…

We were having friends over for dinner, so we made a large tart and 4 mini tartelettes (so we would have them left over to enjoy with tea during the week)! ♥

 Special Tools :

• • Pastry circle : 26 cm (this collection is our favorite) to make one large tart (or 8 – 10 tartelettes if using mini 10 cm tart moulds like these).
  • Kitchenaid Juice Extractor
  • Kitchenaid Artisan Series Stand Mixer

For the shortbread (500g / 2 tarts) :

Ingredients :

• 230g of wholewheat flour
• 140g of softened butter
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (set aside egg white to make meringue)
• 90g of powdered sugar
• 40g of powdered almonds
• 2 pinches of salt
• ½ vanilla pod

Steps to create to perfection :

1. Mix the butter and powdered sugar in your Kitchenaid on slow speed, with the flat beater attachment until the mixture becomes creamy.

2. Add the powdered almonds and continue to mix.

3. Add the egg, the egg yolk, vanilla.

4. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

5. Add the flour and salt into the mixture and continue to mix until your dough looks like sand. Do not over mix.

6. Put the dough in the fridge for 4 hours minimum (overnight is best).

7. Divide the dough into 2 parts (you can keep 1 part in your freezer to make another tart later).

8. Roll out the dough being careful to not roll it out too thinly (3mm).

9. Put in your tart dish (or in pastry circle).

10. Pick with a fork (to make small air holes).

11. Cover with parchment paper (hold in place with dried red beans).

12. Put in oven at 150°C for 30 minutes.

For the blueberry caramel :

Ingredients :

• 125g of blueberries
• 90ml of liquid cream
• 120g of glucose syrup
• 80g of molasses
• 50g of brown sugar
• 8 g of salted butter

Steps to create to perfection :

1. Mix the blueberries in your Kitchenaid juice extractor (or a blender).

2. Combine the blueberry juice with the cream. Put aside.

3. Heat the glucose syrup and the sugar in a medium pot, until it caramelizes.

4. Pour the blueberry mixture into the pot. Be careful : When you pour the blueberry mixture into the pot, the liquid will rise quickly. We recommend you add the mixture slowly in 3 parts.

5. Heat the liquid until it reaches 118°C/245°F.

6. Pour the mixture over the shortbread and refrigerate for 2 or 3 hours.

For the mascarpone meringue filling & toppings :

Ingredients :

• 250g of mascarpone cheese
• 50g of powdered sugar
• 2 eggs (+ 1 egg yolk)
• 8g of lemon juice
• 35g of water
• 60g of molasses
• 60g of brown sugar
• 2g of agar-agar (to stiffen filling)
• The zest of 1 pomelo grapefruit (these are smaller grapefruits, if you can not find them, you can use the zest of 1/2 regular grapefruit)
• The zest of 1/2 of a lemon
• 10 blueberries
• 1 square of dark chocolate (for grating)

Steps to create to perfection :

1. Separate egg whites and egg yolks.

2. Mix egg yolks with the powdered sugar in a large bowl. (Make sure your bowl is big enough as you will be adding the meringue later on!)

3. Add mascarpone to the mixture and mix with a whisk. Set aside

4. Pour the lemon juice, water, brown sugar, molasses and agar-agar into a medium pot.

5. Heat the mixture on high heat until it reaches 118° C / 245° F.

6. While the mixture is heating, begin preparing your meringue. Whisk egg whites to form peaks.

7. When the heated mixture reaches 118° C / 245° F, pour it into the egg whites and whisk on high speed until the mixtures decreases to room temperature (approximately 22° C / 70° F).

8. Add the meringue to the mascarpone cream mixture, little by little, being careful not to mix too much. (Your mixture should remain fluffy and not fall.)

9. Fill a pastry pouch with the creamy mascarpone meringue mixture.

10. Refrigerate pastry pouch for 3 – 4 hours.

11. Fill shortbread pastry tart with mascarpone meringue filling.

12. Add the zest of 1 pomelo grapefruit (or the zest of 1/2 of a larger grapefruit).

13. Add the zest of 1/2 of a lemon.

14. Decorate with 10 blueberries.

15. Add 1 square of grated dark chocolate.