About hedgerows and blackberries: Macaroon Tart
settembre 1, 2011
I am fond of hedgerows, they have always had a powerful appeal on me. They grow patiently along the roads, or between the fields, every year they change colours according to the seasons and offer a shelter to small animals. They stand there, casting a mysterious spell on what lies beneath, hidden from the view of common people. They scents of wood, of fresh green, of ancient people.
I love the Tuscan hedgerows, so irregular, they draw the boundaries between fields of wheat, fields of sunflowers and fields at rest, they are made of bushes and trees that stand out among the thorns. They represent home and safety, being the hedges that surround you and protect you, crowded with fireflies in the hot season.
(she’s my mum!)
I love the English hedgerows, unwinding along the country roads, shaded by leafy trees and revealing small cottages and green meadows where horses and cows graze. Those, to me, are the mysterious hedges that hide and give you hint on different stories and other possible endings.
The hedgerows always remind me of the late summer afternoon golden hours, when I usually go picking blackberries with my mum, as every year since I can remember, with the slanting warm light and and my smile that gets more black after every blackberry.
No jam for me this year, mum made preserves for all the family, packing the pantry with jars labeled and sorted by colour: orange apricot, purple plum, blue blackberry.
I used my berries to bake a tart I bookmarked months ago into Super natural every day, by Heidi Swanson, well known for her blog, 101 cookbooks. The cake is real and hearty, has an intense flavour enhanced by the whole wheat and the natural cane sugar and a soft macaroon filling, dotted by juicy blackberries.
Super natural every day. I only made a few recipes from the book so far but each and every recipe has fulfilled all my expectations: Heidi takes you by the hand and guides you throughout the steps. All the recipes I made have the same effect on me: they make me feel good, healthy, natural and full of energy.
- The most classic: make a jam! what summer would it be without blackberry jam?
- Blackberries for the winter: rinse them, pat them dry and freeze the best and juiciest berries for the cold season. You can store them in a plastic bag in your freezer and bring back summer to life in a few minutes, even during the long winter evenings.
- 170 g (1½ cup) white whole wheat flour
- 60 g (3/4 cup) unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 106 g (3/4 cup) sifted and lightly packed natural cane sugar
- scant ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 140 g (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 140 g (2 cups) unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 70 g (1/2 cup) sifted and lightly packed natural cane sugar
- 4 large eggs white
- 225 g fresh blackberries, halved
- 45 g (1/3 cup) pistachios, crushed*
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C with a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Butter a 20cm by 28cm tart pan (I used two 10cm by 30cm tins) and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- To make the crust, in a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut, sugar and salt.
- Stir in the melted butter and mix until dough is crumbly but no longer dusty looking.
- Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan (it should form a solid, flat layer). Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.
- Remove and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the coconut macaroon filling by combining the coconut, sugar, and egg whites. Mix until well combined.
- Evenly distribute the blackberries across the tart base.
- Now drop little dollops of the macaroon filling over the tops of them and mush and press the coconut topping around into the spaces behind the berries.
- Be sure to let at least some of the colorful berries pop through for visual flair.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peaks of the macaroon filling are deeply golden brown.
- Let the tart cool, then garnish with the crusted pistachios before slicing into small squares.
So far, this is one of my favourite tart ever, due to my newly born love for wholesome food and fruity cakes, but obviously I’m not the first one to find it mouthwatering and a perfect treat during the day. You can find other versions of this tart:
- on Smitten Kitchen, another blog I read always with pleasure, mostly for their philosophy: I think food should be accessible, and are certain that you don’t need fussy foods and/or pretentious ingredients to cook fantastically.
- at Helene’s Sweet Tartelette, as always, masterfully made with another recipe from the book, a salad of shaved fennel
- and how not to mention another macaroon tart baked by Heidi on her blog, 101 cookbooks, made with fresh cherries instead of blackberries (recipe to bookmark for the next cherry season, even though, what about sour cherries in syrup?)
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Posted in Baked Good, Desserts, Pies and Tarts, Summer
Clementine and Camomile Cupcakes
settembre 1st, 2011 at 15:15
Ooh how delicious! I love proper hedgerows, we had great ones where I grew up in Devon. I’ve never tried any of Heidi’s recipes – I think I should soon.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:48
I really would love to spent a day in Devon walking along tiny country roads, picking up berries.. go and give a try to Heidi’s recipes, they’re really inspiring, you will love them!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 15:29
What gorgeous clicks! The Tuscan countryside is so beautiful and your tart looks divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:49
thank you! the golden hour in summer days is really inspiring!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 16:17
Wow, that is one of the most gorgeous looking tarts I have ever seen. Looks fantastic!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:50
Heidi’s tart!! she’s incredible!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 16:37
Yum! I love the last photo Juls! It’s like a piece of art!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:51
thank you!!!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 16:45
The tart looks great.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:53
..and tastes good!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 17:17
beautiful photos!!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:53
thank you!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 18:10
This is a wonderful and unique recipe, I have bookmarked. Your tart looks stunning. Also, the landscape photography makes me wish I was there. Great post.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:54
Bake it as soon as you can, you won’t be disappointed!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 18:26
I’m with you on English hedgerows and the countryside in particular. You’ve got lovely photos here and the tart sounds just perfect.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:57
my love for English hedgerows comes along with my great love for anything English! thank you for stopping by!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 18:32
I love Heidi Swanson too, especially her baking recipes. I have been wanting to make this as well. I am eating for lunch (along with more appropriate fare, of course) a rasberry-almond mini tart I made as part of an internet baking challenge I am doing, so I can really imagine how lovely your tart must be. Yours would be all the better for being made with blackberries picked with your mom of course. In Seattle, when we’d visit my grandparents, blackberries were growing wild all over the place, even in the middle of the residential neighborhoods in the city: in the alleyways, behind a church, along a plot of land near a shopping center. Heaven!
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Sara Risposta:
settembre 1st, 2011 alle 18:36
Heaven in unexpected places, I mean. Not so lovely as your hedgerows for picking, but producing just as delicious results.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:56
YUM! raspberry-almond mini tart sounds really yummy!
I really would love to visit Seattle, and this description you make of the city really makes me wanna leave now!
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settembre 1st, 2011 at 19:34
Lovely dessert and gorgeous photos. Great job!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:55
thank you so much!
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settembre 2nd, 2011 at 02:14
That tart looks fantastic. Not many hedgerows here in the Boston area, but you’ve painted them in such a romantic light!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:58
I do believe Boston has many many interesting things even though you can’t find many hedgerows! Boston has been in my wishing list for ages!
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settembre 2nd, 2011 at 07:59
Stunning – absolutely stunning. Your pictures are incredible and what a beautiful tart! I never thought to pair coconut and blackberries together!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 13:59
me neither! this is another reason that makes me admire Heidi so much! unexpected matches, but every time so yummy!
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settembre 2nd, 2011 at 12:48
I love blackberries, we made some blackberry jam this year, it is one of my favorite. Your tart is beautiful, so are the rest of the pictures
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 2nd, 2011 alle 14:00
blackberry jam is also one of my favourites, along with strawberry jam!
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settembre 2nd, 2011 at 16:06
This looks lovely! I’ll be making this soon for sure.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 3rd, 2011 alle 12:19
good decision!
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settembre 3rd, 2011 at 21:38
What a great use of blackberries! This tart is gorgeous!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 4th, 2011 alle 16:41
thank you Erin!
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settembre 6th, 2011 at 11:16
[...] About hedgerows and blackberries: Macaroon Tart and [...]
aprile 11th, 2013 at 06:18
Gorgeous tart, I love the macaroon crust!
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aprile 22nd, 2013 at 03:25
Aack! Halfway through making this… looked toooooo delicious to resist and for the life of me can’t figure out 225g of blackberries to cups. When in doubt scatter them till it looks about right… all of your other measurements are translate to cups.
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