It’s time for blueberries! I think the best way to enjoy them is plain, as they are – and this goes for any sort of berry. However, who could resist using them in desserts, too? Just a single look at this tart makes me drool. I baked it last week and I can’t get it out of my mind – so delicious it was. Also, its colors are just… splendid, aren’t they?

For the tart pastry, I used the recipe from my cottage cheese and apricot tart, posted a few weeks ago. I adapted the filling of that same tart which resulted in a much smoother, creamier cottage cheese mixture. The tart itself is not complicated to prepare. As I had lots of blueberries at hand, I made my own blueberry jam from scratch while the tart was baking – of course, you could use a store-bought jam instead. But the home made stuff always tastes so much better… I always make my jams with (blond) cane sugar and lemon juice, I cook them in smaller quantities which reduces the cooking time significantly and at the same time preserves the nutrients of the fruit.
So, let’s see how you can prepare this tart:

Ingredients for a round (28cm) pan:
220g white spelt flour (or all-purpose)
a pinch salt
a pinch baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg
3 Tbsp blond cane sugar
100g cold butter
420g smooth cottage cheese
3 eggs
50g sour cream
50g whipping cream
50ml whole milk
110g blond cane sugar
grated lemon peel
blueberry jam (home made, if possible)
and fresh blueberries, for topping

1. Prepare the tart dough by combining the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the butter (diced) and the egg (lightly beaten), mix until the mixture looks like crumbs. Then use your hands to kneed it into a dough (you need to work quickly). You could, of course, use a food processor if you have one.
2. Roll out the dough forming a round shape. Transfer it into the prepared baking pan (buttered and/or lined with baking paper), trim the excess dough if needed. Prick the dough several times with a fork and blind bake the tart shell at 170ºC for 10′.
3. For the filling, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, sour and whipping cream, milk, sugar and grated lemon peel. I recommend using a hand mixer for optimal result. You should obtain a really smooth creamy filling.
4. Pour the filling into the prebaked tart shell and bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on your oven), covering with aluminum foil when needed. Turn off the oven and let the tart sit for additional 10 minutes, then transfer to the kitchen rack and allow to cool a bit.
5. Top the tart with blueberry jam (I made mine while the tart was in the oven – it was cooked in 20 minutes) and finally, with fresh blueberries. Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve.  Store this tart covered in the fridge. It keeps well for at least a couple of days.

Does it look tempting or what?