Wild Blackberry Custard Tart
Someone gave us an ice cream container full of wild blackberries. That’s just the sort of present I like! I had to come up with something really special to make use of them!
Ingredients for the Base
Half a cup of polenta
One cup of self-raising flour
Half a cup of cocoa
Two tablespoons of vanilla
Half a cup of oil
Half a cup of maple syrup
Ingredients for the filling
Two cups of soy milk
A little extra soy milk to bloom the gelatine and dissolve the cornflour.
Two tablespoons of vanilla essence
Half a cup of maple syrup
Two tablespoons of cornstarch
Two tablespoons of gelatine
Two egg yolks
Half a cup of blackberries. (Or any berries of your choice from the supermarket.)
Half a cup of St Dalfour Black Cherry jam (this French jam has no cane sugar in it. It’s the only jam I ever buy, due to its lack of nasty extras.)
Topping
Two cups of fresh, wild blackberries. (Or any berries of your choice from the supermarket).
A pinch of salt.
How to make the base:
Combine polenta, flour and cocoa. Mix in oil and maple syrup.
Press the mixture into a parchment lined springform pan.
Pop into the oven at 220c ( 428f) for about fifteen minutes or until the base just holds together.
While the base is cooking, create the custard.
How to make the Custard.
Combine two tablespoons of cornflour with a little soy milk in a cup. Mix until the corn flour is dissolved. Set aside.
Put a little more soy milk into a microwave safe cup. Add two tablespoons of gelatine to the milk. Mix with a fork and then heat the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Remove from the microwave and remix with a fork until all the lumps are dissolved.
Pour two cups of soy milk and maple syrup into a saucepan. Add the gelatine and cornflour mixtures. Turn on the heat and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. When the mixture has thickened, add two egg yolks and cook for another three minutes, whisking constantly to avoid eggy lumps in your custard.
When the custard is completed, pour it across the chocolate base.
Swirl the black cherry jam throughout the custard.
Cover the tart with cling wrap and pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours. This ensures that the heat of the custard doesn’t cook the berries.
Topping
When the custard has cooled, remove from the fridge and, using a butter knife, push half a cup of blackberries into the custard filling (it will still be soft).
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Cover the tart with the two cups of blackberries. Cover with cling wrap.
Chill for a minimum of five hours.
For best results, leave it in the fridge overnight.
This is fantastic dessert for preparing a day ahead of a party. It only improves with the extra setting time and making it the night before leaves you plenty of time to create your other dishes that are best eaten completely fresh.
