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My Funny Valentine…

Allright, it is true that we don’t do anything special on February 14th because we have always refused to buy into the whole money making scheme it has become and feel that we don’t need a special day to remember to say and mean "I love U". We do express it in so many different ways throughout the year, but I still like to treat myself to a little pre-Valentine dessert. I usually follow my craving of the moment and lately it has not been chocolate (shocking I know!) but berries and citrus.

Valentine’s Day is also an occasion to express my love to my family and friends. Since my dad loves Tarte Aux Myrtilles so much and I do too, I made a couple of little Blueberry Pies. I believe we will have them with Champagne tonight…don’t worry I won’t forget to make another treat for my sweetheart tomorrow.

This is another one of those recipes picked up at the Restaurant and that evolves and changes everytime I make it, but here is what I did this time. Since I like pastry dough, I made these double crusted which qualifies the little things for this month WTSIM, hosted by Jeanne.

Individual Blueberry Pies:

Crust, adapted from Dorie Greenspan:

Makes 4 3- inch tarts

1 stick plus 1 Tb. butter, cut in small pieces
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

In a food processor, pulse all the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse again. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the mixture comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Blueberry Filling:

1 pint fresh blueberries
zest and juice from one lime
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 Tb. cornstarch

In a heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients and heat over medium until the blueberries realease their juices and the whole mix start to thicken, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature

Assemble the tarts:
Roll out the dough and cut 8 circles 1 or 2 inches larger than your tart molds. If you do not have free standing tart molds, you can use muffin tins. Gently put one circle at the bottom of each mold, divide the filling evenly among the tarts and lay a second circle on top. Trim and flute the pies the way you like it.
I cut a whole at the top using the bottom part of a pastry tip, before I lay the top crust. If you forget, cut a couple of slits with a knife on the top crust.
Put the tart shells on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. I like to brush mine with a bit of milk before baking.
Let cool and eat!!:

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Comments


Brilynn February 13, 2007 um 11:21 pm

I always freeze lots of blueberries in the summer with the intention of making pies in the winter, but they never last that long. I like snacking on blueberries out of the freezer and I always end up just eating them all.


MyKitchenInHalfCups February 13, 2007 um 11:49 pm

Ha, ha, I buy blueberries to freeze and end up eating them before I can get them into the freezer! Blueberries are just the best.
I would love one of these pies.


Anonymous February 14, 2007 um 5:52 am

ohhh, those pies look very yummy. Looks like a mouthful of blueberry heaven ๐Ÿ™‚


Gattina Cheung February 14, 2007 um 11:07 am

I love any tart in a little size… oh just like your blog name! Your tartlets look very romantic indeed!


Anonymous February 14, 2007 um 2:17 pm

oh now…that’s a tart after my own heart. I have a terrible weakness for mini-size desserts. I think its because I think I could have more than one. Your blueberry tarts look so yummy!


Patricia Scarpin February 14, 2007 um 2:43 pm

I’m so glad now I can find blueberries here in Brazil. ๐Ÿ˜‰


Anonymous February 14, 2007 um 2:47 pm

I think your dad and I would be friends. J’adore aussi la tarte aux myrtilles! delicieuse tarte.


Anonymous February 14, 2007 um 3:46 pm

So cute! I love miniature desserts, and blueberries are always a favorite too!


Anonymous February 14, 2007 um 4:40 pm

Hi Helen! Those mini pies are adorable. Blueberry and Lemon are tied as my favourite pies, so I think the touch of citrus in your recipe would certainly make for an indulgent treat!


Peabody February 14, 2007 um 5:22 pm

You know how I love all things minature….what a lovely way to say I love you…pie.


Freya February 14, 2007 um 7:57 pm

Helene, these look so beautiful! And the pastry looks perfect too!


Alpineberry Mary February 14, 2007 um 9:48 pm

Miniature anything is just so cute. I’m totally looking forward to berry season.


Anonymous February 15, 2007 um 2:04 am

Happy Valentine’s Day, Helen!


Christine February 15, 2007 um 4:02 am

I love blueberries, but have never had them in a pie. If I can bring home a package of blueberries and can manage not to devour them right away, I might have to give these a try!


Jeanne February 16, 2007 um 12:02 am

What beautiful little pies – and very appropriate considering the name of your blog ๐Ÿ˜‰ I adore fruit pies and can just imagine how delicious these must be. Thanks for participating in WTSIM!


Anonymous February 16, 2007 um 3:53 am

Individual little pies… what a fantastic idea! Very cute…they look delicious.


Anonymous February 22, 2007 um 9:13 pm

Cherry pie is my favorite, but blueberry comes in a close second… your mini pies look magnifique!!


Anonymous June 4, 2007 um 1:40 am

I found this recipe through TasteSpotting.Com and wow was it good. Thank you so much for posting it!

I also made a few adjustments, though you’re free to ignore them if you please:

– I added 1Tbsp milk and 1/2Tbsp white vinegar to the pie crust, as I find this always make the crust flakier (I also added an extra 1/4 cup flour following this).

– Brushed the tops with a mixture made from the leftover egg white, 1Tbsp milk, and 1tsp powdered sugar. Made the finished crust nice and shiny!

But yes, recipe was amazing! Once again, thank you for posting: these little beauties have made my day.


SteamyKitchen July 8, 2007 um 2:36 am

All you’re missing is a scoop of ice cream in the middle bowl!


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