About hedgerows and blackberries: Macaroon Tart
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.
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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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.
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!
What gorgeous clicks! The Tuscan countryside is so beautiful and your tart looks divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
thank you! the golden hour in summer days is really inspiring!
Wow, that is one of the most gorgeous looking tarts I have ever seen. Looks fantastic!
Heidi’s tart!! she’s incredible!
Yum! I love the last photo Juls! It’s like a piece of art! 🙂
thank you!!! 🙂
The tart looks great.
..and tastes good!
beautiful photos!!
thank you!
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.
Bake it as soon as you can, you won’t be disappointed!
I’m with you on English hedgerows and the countryside in particular. You’ve got lovely photos here and the tart sounds just perfect.
my love for English hedgerows comes along with my great love for anything English! thank you for stopping by!
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!
Heaven in unexpected places, I mean. Not so lovely as your hedgerows for picking, but producing just as delicious results.
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!
Lovely dessert and gorgeous photos. Great job!
thank you so much!
That tart looks fantastic. Not many hedgerows here in the Boston area, but you’ve painted them in such a romantic light!
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!
Stunning – absolutely stunning. Your pictures are incredible and what a beautiful tart! I never thought to pair coconut and blackberries together!
me neither! this is another reason that makes me admire Heidi so much! unexpected matches, but every time so yummy!
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
blackberry jam is also one of my favourites, along with strawberry jam!
This looks lovely! I’ll be making this soon for sure.
good decision!
What a great use of blackberries! This tart is gorgeous!
thank you Erin!
Gorgeous tart, I love the macaroon crust!
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.
It’s about 1 1/2 cups according to http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2007/04/what-does-1-cup-of-weigh.html?m=1