Alsatian Blueberry Tart (Tarte aux Myrtilles Alsacienne)
This rustic Alsatian Blueberry Tart is a quintessential Summer dessert, hailing from the Alsace region in the Eastern part of France, where blueberries are plentiful.
- For the Pâte Brisée:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose-flour1/2 cup (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter, cold and cubedA pinch of salt1/4 cup (50ml) cold water (approximate)
- For the filling:
- 1 1/2 dry pint (about 3 cups/570g) fresh blueberries, washed and dried¼ cup (about 70g) crème fraiche2 egg yolks2 tbsp (25g) sugar
- Make sure you read the Pâte Brisée tips and cooking notes before you start.
- Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte Brisée. Mix the flour, salt and butter with your fingers or pulse in a food processor, until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough just comes together into a rough ball (about 1/4 cup of water); do not over-mix or your crust will end up tough. Add a few more splashes of water if you feel the dough is too crumbly - but try to keep the water to a minimum. Too much water will also make your crust tough. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill for about 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 390ºF (200ºC) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch tart pan.
- Step 2 – 20 minutes later, take the dough out of the fridge. Transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to circle of 16-inch (40cm) in diameter (about 1/6 inch thick). Drape the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it to the tart pan. Cut the excess off around the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust evenly with a fork (10-12 pokes). You can keep the excess of dough for another baking project or use them to do decorations.
- Step 3 - In a small bowl, whisk together (with a fork) the egg yolks and crème fraiche until combined and lump-free.
- Step 4 - Evenly scatter the blueberries onto the crust. Pour the egg yolk + crème fraiche mixture over top and toss gently until the blueberries are evenly coated. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar.
- Optional: At this point, brush any crust decorations with and egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp [15ml] milk).
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling.
- Transfer onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying. Enjoy warm or cooled.
It features a crisp “pâte brisée” (French pie dough) generously filled with fresh seasonal blueberries. Just before baking, a “migaine” (quick custard) is poured overtop the blueberries to create an extra juicy filling with a delicious hint of creaminess. If you’re visiting Alsace in the Summer, you’ll likely find an offering of this Alsatian Blueberry Tart in most restaurants, cafes and B&Bs.
It is an iconic dessert from this French region and a tart that locals love to make at home too. It is simple, rustic-looking, delicious and makes do with the abundance of blueberries in late Summer.
You can find this dessert called by “Tarte aux myrtilles” (myrtille translating to blueberry) or “Tarte aux Brimbelles” – brimbelles referring to the local wild blueberries harvested in Alsace. Three years later, I re-worked the recipe slightly, with more blueberries, less sugar and slightly more crème fraiche.
I also wanted to update the photos and instructions and add step-by-step photos. The crust: a “Pâte Brisée” To make an Alsatian Blueberry Tart, I find a classic-French “Pâte Brisée” to be the best choice.
A “Pâte Brisée” is the French version of a standard pie crust, made with a generous amount of butter. In comparison to a “Pâte Sucrée” (traditionally used for a French Lemon Tart) or a “Pâte Sablée” (traditionally used for a French Frangipane Apricot Tart), a Pâte Brisée is made with only flour, butter and water – no sugar or eggs. With fewer ingredients, a “Pâte Brisée” is a simpler, quicker pie crust that is more often used for “rustic” desserts (meaning, a little less fancy) that will simply allow the fruits to be the center of attention.
Since it doesn’t have any sugar, it also means a “Pâte Brisée” can be used for both sweet and savory pies, be it quiches, fruits tarts or galettes. Because the flour and butter are mixed with water (water encouraging the gluten development in the flour), a “Pâte Brisée is sturdier and less sandy, in comparison to a “Pâte Sucrée” or a “Pâte Sablée”. This makes it an ideal crust for fruit tarts, to hold the baked soft fruits without breaking.
It is also great for galettes, to avoid having the edges crumble when you fold them over the fruits. Lastly, it is a great crust to work with to create trimming, decorations or lattice-work for the top or edges of a fruit tart – just like this blueberry tart.
Tips for a great Pâte Brisée”:
- It is essential to use cold butter and ice cold water to make the dough. Cold butter -not room temperature- will distribute into the flour without softening. And ice-cold water will bind the ingredients together without softening the butter. This ensures little bits of butter are still present in the dough once rolled out, which makes for a most tender baked Pâte Brisée.
- Do not overmix the dough: stop mixing when it just comes together into a rough ball. Otherwise, your crust likely will end up too tough once baked.
- The Pâte Brisée needs to be chilled at least 20 minutes before being rolled out. If the dough is too cold and firm when trying to roll it out, let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. It will warm up slightly, to become easier to roll out. If the dough cracks a bit when you roll it out or transfer it into the pan, do not fret. You can simply wet your fingers lightly under lukewarm water and “rub” the cracks to bind the dough back together.
The filling: Blueberries with a “migaine” What makes this Alsatian Blueberry Tart truly stand out from other blueberry tarts or pies is the quick custard – called “migaine”– that gets poured atop the blueberries right before baking. Sometimes referred to as a flan, a filling or a custard, a “migaine” is a simple mixture of crème fraiche and egg yolks.
Once baked, the “migaine” turns into a soft flan-like texture that wraps around the blueberries. Its mellow, creamy taste pairs perfectly with the sweetness and acidity of the fruits.
Preparing a “migaine” to fill sweet and savory tarts (such as quiches) is quite popular in the Eastern part of France.
More Cooking notes:
- Making your own Pâte Brisée will make a big difference for this Alsatian Blueberry Tart. This recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch (22.9cm) tart pan and you will leftover dough to create some decorations if you would like – such as lattice designs for the top, braids for around the edge of the tart or cutouts. Decorations are fun to make, but optional.
- I recommend you use a tart pan with a removable bottom, which will support the crust when lifting your tart.
- Although it wasn’t easy to find up until a few years ago, Crème fraiche has now become common in grocery stores in Canada and the US. You can usually find it next to sour creams. Two of my favorite brands I recommend are Liberte and Maison Riviera.
I hope you’ll love this Alsatian Blueberry Tart as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
