Blackberry Caramel Tart

It never ceases to amaze me how much tarts seemingly want to ruin my life. Is that a bit dramatic, sure, but I am starting to wonder if it’s really possible to create a perfect tart. While the Blackberry Caramel Tart wasn’t quite as beautiful as I had hoped, luckily it still turned out pretty well.

The picture of this dessert could make anyone hungry. It is no doubt one of the most beautiful treats in Dessert Person. However, it requires one to make the Sweet Tart Dough. I’ve made this dough plenty of times, which is why I know I need to have more than the single batch to fill my 10-inch tart pan. I decided to use half of a Sweet Tart Dough I had left from another recipe with the new batch I made. I kneaded them both together so they mixed well, but the consistency did not seem to match what I usually end up with. Still, I went on with forming it into the pan and baking it with the foil in the first half—but that’s where things took a dark turn. The foil did not hold up the dough on the sides, causing some of it to sag down. I was very concerned my tart would end up seeping once I added the blackberry caramel. I took Claire’s advice and mixed some water and flour and pasted it around the corners that had small holes. It was late, and all bakers know how this goes; you can redo it all again, or just deal and hope for the best. I was too tired of making Sweet Tart Dough to try it again, so I moved on to the blackberry caramel.

I cooked the sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil on the stove. Whenever making a caramel sauce, I recommend putting a tablespoon or two of water in a small bowl and having it next to you to brush the sides of the saucepan as needed. It makes these steps way less chaotic. It took around seven minutes to get the mixture to turn to a medium amber tone, which Claire advised would help the berry flavor shine through more. I then added the heavy cream and brought it to a simmer before mashing a third of the blackberries into the sauce. It turned into this gorgeous magenta tone.

While the caramel sauce cooled a little, I arranged the rest of the blackberries in the ugly tart. I also placed water in a small bowl with gelatin. I actually ended up doing this twice because the first time did not seem to be mixing as well as it should have, and I didn’t feel like dealing with yet another setback. The second attempt turned out much better once I used the right measurements (who’da thunk the right measurements might help?!).

As the gelatin did its thing, I strained the caramel mixture to get rid of the seeds. This gave me a beautiful, smooth sauce. Once the gelatin was set correctly, I warmed it over the stove with the same saucepan I used for the caramel. I added it to the caramel and let it cool. The next part was kind of strange; I filled a large bowl with ice water, and sat the sauce inside it. Of course, some of the water spilled out. Supposedly this helps the sauce thicken, but I didn’t notice much of a difference.

Finally, it was the moment of truth. I carefully, slowly poured the caramel sauce over the tart and around the blackberries. And…no leakage! Hallelujah (sometimes you just don’t have the energy for things to go wrong, especially at the last steps, which seems to be when it always happens).

I ended up letting the tart refrigerate overnight, and when I took it out, it had hardened perfectly. If it wasn’t for the damn tart dough, it would’ve looked like the picture in Dessert Person. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic dessert.

Truth be told, the dough sucked; I kind of expected that after all the trouble I experienced. But the caramel filling is absolutely fantastic. I think this part could be used in so many different ways besides a tart filling. It’s perfect for people who may not enjoy a citrus tart, as it has a sweet, smooth berry taste. It honestly was everything I was hoping it would be. I will be making this one again this summer or perhaps trying out the blackberry caramel sauce with another dessert idea.

If I see Claire post the Blackberry Caramel Tart on her YouTube Channel, I will share it!