Black blueberry jam tart: the classic with a different fruit
The jam tart is the dessert of Italian Sundays: shortcrust pastry, a layer of fruit, the lattice on top. The recipe hasn't changed for generations. What you can change is the fruit.
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Almost everyone makes the tart with apricot, strawberry or sour cherry. Black blueberry is less obvious and has a reason to be there: its slightly sharp note holds up to the baking without turning cloying, and the dark colour against the golden pastry is beautiful. If you're after the more traditional version, here's the classic tart with strawberry jam. This is its dark sister.
Ingredients (24 cm tin)
Shortcrust pastry
- 300 g plain flour
- 150 g cold butter
- 120 g sugar
- 1 whole egg + 1 yolk
- 1 pinch of salt
- grated zest of half a lemon
Filling
- 350–400 g black blueberry jam (about two 212 g jars)
Time: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes rest, 35 minutes baking.
Method
- Pastry. Quickly work the flour with the cold cubed butter until sandy. Add sugar, salt and lemon zest, then the egg and yolk. Knead just enough to form a dough: shortcrust shouldn't be overworked or it loses its crumble.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out two thirds of the pastry to about half a centimetre and line the buttered, floured tin. Prick the base with a fork.
- Filling. Spread the black blueberry jam over the base in an even layer, leaving a one-centimetre free border.
- With the remaining pastry, form strips for the lattice and arrange them in a grid over the filling.
- Bake in a static oven at 180 °C for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Let it cool completely before cutting: while hot, the filling is too soft.
The detail that makes the difference
The tart is cut cold. The jam turns liquid during baking and needs to rest to set again. If you slice the tart fresh from the oven, the filling runs and the slice falls apart. Wait until it's at room temperature — better still, after a few hours — and you'll get a clean cut.
A second tip: keep the one-centimetre border free around the filling. During baking the jam expands, and that margin stops it from spilling and scorching on the sides.
Variations and pairings
An extra grating of lemon zest in the pastry brings out the blueberry. For a richer version, a thin layer of almond cream under the jam turns the tart into something closer to a frangipane.
Served warm with a scoop of fior di latte ice cream, it's a serious end-of-lunch dessert. On its own, with coffee, it's the snack that lasts all week — it keeps well under a cake dome for three or four days. If you like the idea of the jam beyond the tart, here are other ways to use black blueberry at the table.
Why it works with black blueberry
Plain jam tarts have a known weak point: too much sweetness, not enough contrast. With very sugary fruit the sweetness goes flat. Black blueberry has that underlying acidity that balances the pastry — the same reason lemon juice in the dough "wakes up" the flavour.
Our black blueberry jam is made with whole fruit, cane sugar and lemon juice, with no industrial pectin. The density that makes it right for the filling comes from cooking under vacuum at low temperature, not from thickeners. You'll find it alongside all our jams.
Frequently asked questions
How much jam do I need for a tart?
For a 24 cm tin, count on 350–400 g, about two 212 g jars. A generous layer is best: the jam dries out a little during baking.
Can I use ready-made pastry?
Yes, a good industrial shortcrust works. But with flour, cold butter and half an hour, the homemade one is on another level of crumble.
How do I stop the pastry going soggy?
Prick the base well and don't overdo it with overly runny jam. For extra insurance, a light dusting of cornflour on the base before the filling absorbs the moisture.
How long does it keep?
Three or four days at room temperature, covered. A jam tart, in fact, is often better the next day: the flavours settle.
