Elderberry Tart with Cassis
Elderberry Tart makes the most of this delicious foraged fruit. Elderberries & a cassis flavoured custard fill this butter pastry shell – Yum!
There’s an abundance of elderberries out there ready to be picked and preserved, the beauty of elderberries is that you don’t need to live in the countryside, you’ll find them in parks, gardens and alongside footpaths in the city too.
Elderberries are best not eaten raw, they can give some people a bad tum but if you’ve ever eaten one straight from the bush you’ll know they are rather tart. Tasting a bit like a blackberry but more sour and they have a slightly earthy taste. See my Harvesting Elderberries post for more details on what to look for when picking and more recipes with elderberries to make the most of your foraged fruit.
Tart aux Myrtilles is the inspiration for my Elderberry Tart. I’ve used a rich butter pastry and used a small amount of custard flavoured with Creme de Cassis as a base for the elderberries for my version of this much loved tart. It truly is delicious, the elderberries adding just the right amount of tartness and fruitiness and if you’re like us you won’t be able to stop at just one slice. Serve cold ( if you can wait that long) with a dollop of creme fraiche or Homemade Clotted Cream.
If you like elderberries, why not try my Elderberry Jelly with Port? – this fruity seedless jam is delicious on toast or a scone and is equally good with cooked or cold meats as it pairs perfectly with beef, pork, lamb and poultry. Simply add the jelly to your gravy or jus as you would when using redcurrant jelly.
Elderberry Tart
Equipment
- 1 x 23 cm (9 inch) flan/tart tin
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 200 g plain flour
- A pinch of salt
- 100 g chilled butter, cut into small cubes 3½ oz
- 4 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk freeze the white for later
- Approximately 2 tablespoons water
Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 115 g caster sugar plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 175 ml double cream
- 50 g plain flour
- 2 tablespoons creme de cassis
- 500 g cleaned ripe elderberries with stalks removed 1 lb
Instructions
Make the pastry
- Sieve the flour and salt into the mixing bowl of the stand mixer. Add cubes of butter and mix on slow with a paddle attachment until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and briefly mix.
- Briefly whisk egg yolk and water in a small bowl before adding to the pastry mix. Mix on slow until the pastry forms. This shouldn’t take long at all, less than a minute – you don’t want to overwork the pastry.
- Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm but not hard.
- Grease 1 x 23 cm ( 9 inch ) loose bottomed flan tin.
- Roll out your pastry to about the thickness of a £1 coin ( ⅛ inch ) making sure the pastry circle is large enough for the diameter of your flan tin plus twice its depth.
- Carefully line your tin with your pastry before popping in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200℃ / 180℃ Fan / 400℉ / Gas Mark 6.
Prepare the filling:
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, plain flour and creme de cassis until smooth.
- Place the elderberries in the pastry case and pour over the creamy filling.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of caster sugar before placing in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until baked.
Notes
Pin Elderberry Tart for later:
I’m linking my Elderberry Tart to a few food challenges this month:
- Credit Crunch Munch co hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Michelle over at Utterly Scrummy, hosted this month by Michelle.
- Simple And In Season hosted by Katie over at Feeding Boys.
- Cook Once, Eat Twice over at Searching For Spice and hosted by Corina.
And linking to:
Fiesta Friday hosted this week by Antonia at Zoale and Sandhya at Indfused.
I had elderberries in my old garden; I actually planted them! I found out they were slightly invasive so when I moved to this house, I didn’t bring or plant any. Now I wish I did! This looks amazing, Sarah!
Thanks Angie and thanks for featuring my elderberry tart over at Fiesta Friday. What a pity you didn’t plant any elderberries, although I know what you mean, they are so fast growing and can get out of hand quite easily.
This sounds so delicious. Sadly I do t know where any elderberries grow around by us. May have to see where I can buy some!
Thanks Candace, I’m not sure I’ve seen fresh elderberries for sale, I know you can buy dried elderberries. You would be surprised how many elder trees there are about, you never know you might spot them next year.
I’ve never cooked with elderberries but this looks like a great place to start!
Fruity desserts are my favourite type of desserts and this one sounds and looks amazing! I’ll be on the lookout for elderberries from now on when I am walking my dog. Aren’t they supposed to be really good for you too?
Thanks Monika, hope you manage to spot some elderberries. Fruity desserts are a firm favourite here at the Kitchen Shed too. Elderberries are really good for you, although I’m sure all the sugar, pastry and custard might cancel out any goodness 🙂
That tart is just beautiful Sarah! I don’t think that I’ve ever had Elderberry, but other tart fruits are amazing when baked up and I’m sure that’s the same case with elderberry. I would love that tart on my table!
Thanks Julie, I’m sure you’d enjoy an elderberry tart if you like a fruit tart. Thanks for popping by x
What a lovely tart and to think I have never cooked with them before!
Thanks Judi, if elderberries are still in season over in the US, I definitely recommend trying baking with them.
When I saw this tart on Twitter I knew I had to come and have a closer look. I didn’t realise elderberries were edible once cooked. I love cassis and this tart sound and looks utterly delicious. Another great recipe. Thank you Sarah xx.
Thanks Sammie, hope you get to try some elderberries, they do work so well with cassis. It’s a pleasure to share x
Sarah,
This elderberry tart is a treat for the eyes and the taste buds! I am drooling looking at your amazing photographs- Your tart is simply spectacular!
Thank you for bringing this to Fiesta Friday!
Thanks Sandhya, so pleased you like my photos too. A pleasure to link up with Fiesta Friday, thanks for co hosting 🙂
This is a real WOW bake! I’ve not used Elderberries in baking for yonks! I’m very tempted by the jelly in port too! Thanks once again for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek – Great to have you with us x
Thanks Helen, elderberries are so delicious aren’t they? A real pleasure to link up with #BakeOfTheWeek x