Berried treasure: Nigel Slater’s blackcurrant almond tart recipe. Last modified on Tue 9 Jul 2019 09. I spent many a summer on local farms, picking blackcurrant seed destined for sweet and sticky cordials. Berries that managed to be sweet and yet piercingly tart at the same time.
I have loved them ever since, in ice cream and trifle, soft-crusted pies or warmed with sugar and a little water till they burst, then spooned lavishly over ripe peaches and vanilla ice cream. The almond mixture was crisp on top, fudgy within and the blackcurrants burst and rippled the mixture with juice. Chelseas, stuffed with bleeding purple berries and crunchy with poppy seeds. To make the pastry crust, cream the butter and caster sugar together in a food mixer or by hand until the mixture is light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks.
Combine the flour and baking powder, then fold into the batter with the water to give a firm, soft dough. Tip the dough on to a lightly floured work surface, knead gently for less than a minute, then roll into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured board and use to line the tart tin, pushing it up the sides and into the corners. Chill the pastry for 30 minutes. Place an empty baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven.