Blueberry and Vanilla Midsummer Night Tarts

Apparently it's summertime... actually, we are only a week away from the summer solstice, or midsummer if you will, and although the weather is trying it's best to fool us, the scent of freshly cut grass and the wild honeysuckle in the hedgerows are giving the game away.

These fragrant, fruity little numbers are my ode to midsummer's night, with their shimmering violet surface, and enticing vanilla scent, they will make you forget that it might be slightly overcast and rainy outside. I am linking these tarts up to my Feel Good Food challenge, where the theme is blueberries, and to Classic French hosted by Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes for her French Tart challenge. I have adapted this recipe from Jen's Strawberry Tarts, as I was impressed by the simplicity of the crème patisserie recipe she used (the previous one I had attempted was a lot more fiddly), and I have used a vanilla infused sugar from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range throughout, rather than caster sugar and vanilla extract which you could use if you didn't have the infused sugar. 

Ingredients (makes 2 individual tarts)

For the Vanilla Shortcrust Pastry

50 grams plain flour
25 grams salted butter
1 teaspoon Sainsbury's Vanilla Infused Sugar
2 teaspoons cold water

For the Crème Patisserie

1 egg yolk
25 grams Sainsbury's Vanilla Infused Sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
110 ml semi-skimmed milk

For the Blueberry Topping

1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Sainsbury's Vanilla Infused Sugar
50 grams frozen blueberries

Method

• To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, and the butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water, a teaspoon at a time, and mix through with a fork. Bring the pastry dough together with your hands into a small ball, wrap in clingfilm, and place in the fridge for at least half an hour. 
• Once the pastry is chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, and use it to fill two 4 inch tart tins. (I didn't leave mine quite long enough this time, and the edges cracked a little making an uneven finish, but hey - it all tastes good right!)
• Blind bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes, then remove the greaseproof paper/ foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden. Remove the pastry cases from the oven and set aside to cool. 
• To make the crème patisserie, put the egg yolk, vanilla sugar, and cornflour in a large mixing bowl, and whisk together to make a smooth paste. Heat the milk gently in a saucepan until it just starts to simmer, then slowly pour the milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from scrambling. 
• Return the mixture to the saucepan, and place over a low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then fill the two pastry cases, spread the crème patisserie evenly, and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
• Finally, to make the blueberry topping, put the water and sugar in a saucepan, and heat until the sugar has dissolved, and a syrup starts to form. Add the blueberries, and stir for 2-3 minutes, until the blueberries start to break down slightly. 
• Remove the blueberries from the heat, let the mixture cool, then pour over the top of the tarts. Place in the fridge again to allow the blueberries to set, then serve.