FRESH BLACKBERRY TART + WALNUT CRUST
I’ve been in California for a month and my time here has been epic up until now. The weather has been lovely, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my Watercolor and Herb Craft and Medicine Making Classes, and just got back from a Solo Creative Retreat in Sebastopol where I stayed at Kamala & Pat’s lovely Airbnb cottage. From the moment I arrived, I knew it was the perfect place for my time away. The cottage was small, but quaint with a perfect porch for taking afternoon sun and watching the sunset, an outdoor shower, and a huge garden with a meditation yurt where I spent each morning starting my day. There were even plum trees and blackberry bushes where I helped myself to a treat every time I passed. I also went on daily walks and found that the blackberries were perfect for picking. Meet my snacking bowl!
As soon as I made it back to Berkeley, I decided to make a variation of one of my favorite recently found recipes by Amy Chaplin in her new cookbook, At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen. The recipe is for a Fresh Peach Tart with a Walnut Crust, but instead of peaches, which I had already made three times in the last 2 weeks ;), I swapped the peaches for my freshly picked blackberries and adapted the recipe accordingly to make a Fresh Blackberry Tart + Walnut Crust. The result was fantastic! I’m used to making blackberry pies and baking the blackberries, but serving them fresh like this made for a delicious combination with the crunchy Walnut Spelt Crust. For this particular recipe, I added less apple juice and mixed the arrowroot directly in with the blackberries. I ended up taking it to a dinner party and it was a hit! Thanks for the crust inspiration Amy! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!
Fresh Blackberry Tart + Walnut Crust {V + RSF}
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
3/4 cup regular rolled oats
2 Tbsp brown rice flour
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
3/4 cup whole spelt flour
3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp olive oil
3-4 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup + 2 tsp apple juice
1 tsp agar flakes
2 tsp arrowroot
2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup
METHOD
CRUST *
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and toast walnuts for 5-8 minutes or until fragrant.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9-inch tart shell with removable bottom with olive oil.
Once cooled, combine toasted walnuts, oats, brown rice flour and salt in a Cuisinart and pulse for about 20-30 seconds to have a coarse meal.
In a separate bowl, combine mixture with spelt flour.
Gradually add melted coconut oil, syrup and vanilla.
Dough should be moist, but not sticky.
Wash and dry hands and press dough into oiled tart pan and press the dough against the bottom and sides.
Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork several times and bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Note: This tart should be served the day it’s made, as the moisture from the berries makes the crust soggy after a day in the fridge.
*Crust is adapted from Amy Chaplin’s Fresh Peach Tart with Walnut Crust Recipe
BLACKBERRIES
In a separate bowl, add blackberries, coconut sugar and arrowroot.
In a small saucepan, add apple juice and agar flakes and whisk until it comes to a bowl. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until the agar flakes have completely dissolved.
Let cool for a couple of minutes and then add to blackberry mixture.
Toss very gently so that the majority of blackberries remain whole.
Layer the blackberry mixture into the cooled tart shell and place in the refrigerator until ready to be served.
Note: I’ve also made coconut whipped cream and topped a dollop on top when serving.
COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
Place a can of full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
Remove and spoon out the cream, leaving the water behind (I like to add this to my smoothie the following morning!)
Add a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and whip until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Note: Never add any ingredients after you’ve begun to whip- the consistency will change dramatically.
- 1¼ cup walnuts, toasted
- ¾ cup regular rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp brown rice flour1/4 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
- ¾ cup whole spelt flour
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3-4 cups fresh blackberries
- ½ cup + 2 tsp apple juice
- 1 tsp agar flakes
- 2 tsp arrowroot
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and toast walnuts for 5-8 minutes or until fragrant.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9-inch tart shell with removable bottom with olive oil.
- Once cooled, combine toasted walnuts, oats, brown rice flour and salt in a Cuisinart and pulse for about 20-30 seconds to have a coarse meal.
- In a separate bowl, combine mixture with spelt flour.
- Gradually add melted coconut oil, syrup and vanilla.
- Dough should be moist, but not sticky.
- Wash and dry hands and press dough into oiled tart pan and press the dough against the bottom and sides.
- Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork several times and bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Note: This tart should be served the day it's made, as the moisture from the berries makes the crust soggy after a day in the fridge.
- In a separate bowl, add blackberries, coconut sugar and arrowroot.
- In a small saucepan, add apple juice and agar flakes and whisk until it comes to a bowl. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until the agar flakes have completely dissolved.
- Let cool for a couple of minutes and then add to blackberry mixture.
- Toss very gently so that the majority of blackberries remain whole.
- Layer the blackberry mixture into the cooled tart shell and place in the refrigerator until ready to be served.
- Note: I've also made coconut whipped cream and topped a dollop on top when serving.
- Place a can of full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
- Remove and spoon out the cream, leaving the water behind (I like to add this to my smoothie the following morning!)
- Add a ½ tsp of vanilla extract and whip until you've reached your desired consistency.
- Note: Never add any ingredients after you've begun to whip- the consistency will change dramatically.