Free-Form Summer Berry Tart

My Momma introduced me to America's Test Kitchen Best Summer Desserts a few weeks ago and I've been pouring over the pages ever since!  There are a lot of amazing desserts not to mention a wealth of knowledge in this magazine!  I made the Free-Form Summer Tart recipe yesterday for Sunday dessert!  Only modifying the filling because I didn't have plums or nectarines!  It was the perfect summer treat!  Flaky and buttery!  Tart and sweet!  We paired slices of it with vanilla bean ice cream and it was a crowd pleaser for sure!  I think I'll be making another one today!  I can't let all the extra berries I have go to waste!;)

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
10 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
4-6 tablespoons ice water


In a stand mixer or food processor, mix flour and salt to combine.  Scatter butter pieces over the top of the flour and mix until the butter is evenly distributed with a coarse consistency, about the size of peas.  Continue to mix or pulse on low, adding the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to form small curds that hold together when pinched with fingers.


Turn dough crumbs out on slightly floured counter top and gather into a rectangular shaped pile.  Starting at farthest end, use the heel of your hand to smear small amounts of dough against the counter.  Continue to do this until all the crumbs have been worked.  Gather smeared crumbs together in another rectangle shaped pile and repeat the process one more time.  Press dough into a 6 inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Remove disk from fridge and let it soften slightly.  Place the dough between 2 large sheets of floured parchment.  Roll it out to roughly 12 inches.  Slide the dough, still between parchment, onto a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.  15 to 30 minutes.


For the filling:
6 oz container blueberries, rinsed
6 oz container raspberries, rinsed
1 cup strawberries, rinsed, stems cut off and quartered 
5 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together.  Making sure to break up any clumps of cornstarch so it looks like only sugar.  Put the prepared berries in a large bowl and pour the sugar/cornstarch mixer over them.  Gently mix the berries to evenly distribute the sugar.  Now pull the rolled out dough from the fridge.  Pull off the top layer of parchment and spoon the berries onto the center of the dough.  Leave a 2 1/2 inch border around the berries.  Fold that border up and around the berries, pleating the dough every so often to make it a nice cozy circle around the berries.  Quickly brush the dough with water and then sprinkle with a little extra sugar over it!  Then into the oven to bake until golden and the fruit bubbling.  About 50 minutes to an hour.  Making sure you rotate it halfway through baking.  Once out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes and then use the parchment underneath the tart to lift it onto a cooling rack.  Let it cool for about 25 minutes so the filling can thicken.  Eat warm or cool!


Recipe from America's Test Kitchen
image by Kara