Easy blueberry tarts layered with softened cream cheese or mascarpone, piled high with fresh blueberries, and drizzled with blueberry glaze.
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Every summer, my mom made a big tart bursting with fresh blueberries. It was a super-easy, no-bake recipe, topped with a blueberry glaze thickened on the stove to hold it all together. This blueberry tart is perfect for days when you want a great, easy dessert without turning on the oven.
Mom wasn't an adventurous cook, but she turned out some great meals. After she passed away, I sifted through photographs, letters, and stray scraps of paper packed away in old boxes. A couple of my better report cards. A lace-trimmed Valentine I made in 2nd grade.
And a letter carefully penned in her neat handwriting, written early in her fledgling marriage, to her mother-in-law, my grandmother.
A business connection of my dad's was coming to dinner in the next month with his wife, and mom was nervous. She assured her mother-in-law that she was doing her best to be a good wife to my dad, and desperately needed advice on the menu.
The letter reminded me of a slower, pre-email, pre-google time. A time when picking up the phone was a financial decision for more weighty issues than dinner menus. And of homemade blueberry pie.
Blueberry Glaze Tips
Use a whisk to stir the sugar and corn starch into the blueberry juice. Continue to whisk over medium-low heat to dissolve the sugar and corn starch as the liquid heats up.
Keep the blueberry juice, sugar and corn starch to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat in order to promote thickening of the sauce into a glaze.
It's ready when the glaze becomes more clear. Dip a spoon into the sauce, turn it upside down, and draw your index finger down the middle of the spoon. If you can draw a clear line, and it stays fairly clear, the sauce / glaze is ready.
This can be used as a sauce over blueberry pancakes or ice cream too!
General Blueberry Tarts Tips
The original recipe (shown below) is for a 9″ pie, using a 9″ pie plate. I cut the recipe in half and made 4 mini-tarts as pictured. Here's link to the tart pans I used.
This is a recipe for your best blueberries. Don't use frozen blueberries.
Both cream cheese and mascarpone work well in these tarts.
Mom’s Glazed Blueberry Tarts
Ingredients
- 1 3- ounce package cream cheese or mascarpone
- 1 9 ” pastry shell
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese or mascarpone while you bake the pastry shell according to directions. Let the pie shell completely cool. Spread the cream cheese on the base of the pie shell.
- ALTERNATIVE: Make your own crust! Follow the instructions for baking it. Make sure it's completely cooled before spreading the cream cheese on the base.
- Fill the shell with 3 cups of blueberries.
- Combine the remaining cup of blueberries with the water in a small or medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 4 – 5 minutes. Strain, reserving all of the juice. Mash the berries to get all the juice out. Discard the berries.
- Combine the sugar and corn starch in the same small pot over medium high heat. Gradually whisk in the reserved blueberry juices. Cook, whisking constantly until thick and clear. Cool slightly and stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour the syrup over the berries in the pastry shell. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Serve with whipped cream.
Run DMT says
I loved that story and the glimpse into a mom’s culinary adventure. Your tarts are simply stunning.
Liz says
That letter is certainly a treasure! I think I felt that way as a newlywed 🙂 Your tarts look exquisite!
rossi says
awww wonderful piece I loved this and the glimpse you had of the mom you didn’t know t
the young nervous starting out mom very great to read on mother’s day
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
adore the story about your mom. So true about picking up the phone…it used to be a special occasion to get a long-distance call!
Cathy says
Oh Susan! Luscious blueberries
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Your tarts are just gorgeous! Perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch!!
Mary @ Fit and Fed says
That is so interesting to think of the dinner menu being worthy of a letter from your mom to her mom-in-law. It shows not just that phone calls were expensive, but that business entertaining was a really important part of her role. It certainly was a big part of what my mother-in-law did, too, home entertaining that helped her husband in his career. I like the use of the fresh raw berries in the tarts!
Marlene @Nosh My Way says
I love your story of your mom as a new wife learning to cook. Your blueberry tarts, well your photo paints a thousand wrords.
Seduction In The Kitchen says
MMMM these look so good! Happy Mother’s Day!
Shannon R says
These look fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing.
Laura Dembowski says
These tarts are so pretty and so easy to make. Perfect for mom’s day off, right?
The Ninja Baker says
What a heartwarming story, Susan. Truly touching…Your blueberry tarts look to be bliss on a plate and a beautiful tribute <3
cheri says
What a beautiful story and treasure Susan. I think sometimes it’s hard to imagine our Mom’s as unsure and uncertain as we all know we are in certain stages of our lives. This makes them so much more vulnerable to us. Happy week-end to you!
apuginthekitchen says
I love the story Susan, your Mom sounds like an amazing woman and I love this recipe. I really prefer blueberries uncooked and love this. Happy Mothers Day and thank you for sharing such a wonderful memory.
Tara says
I love a blueberry tart like this, I have to make these, I can’t wait!!
Choc Chip Uru says
Your mum sounds like an incredible person, thanks for sharing your story and such a delicious recipe 😀
Blueberries are definitely a weakness 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Sarah says
What a gorgous cap-off to Mother’s Day
Sarah says
Gorgeous*
Jennifer Miller says
There are no words to describe how amazing your blueberry tarts look — seriously delicious!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
What a wonderful story about your mother. This dessert is so lovely! It looks just my style!
Rosemary Mark says
Lovely Mother story Susan! Will definitely need to try these tarts. I still use your syrup thickened method from your Strawberry Cardamom Galette. 🙂
laurasmess says
These are beautiful Susan. What gorgeous photos, too… really shows off the plump freshness of the blueberries. Thanks for sharing your mum’s story with us (haha… my grandmother used to use packet cake mixes all the time! I think she liked playing it safe, too) x
Librarian Lavender says
What a wonderful story. Cold mothers in law can be very scary indeed. I love the recipe and the tarts are looking delicious!
dina says
these look so delicious!
Erika says
Beautiful post, Susan! I LOVE the light in the second photo! I loved reading about your mom–so weird to think about how our parents were once young and actual people too 😉 I used to despise all cooked fruit pies as a kid (now I love ’em all!) but this would have been the perfect solution for me. I think it’s a shame to waste perfect, fresh blueberries by cooking them anyway–beautifully ripe and fresh on top of a tart is the way to go! And the blueberry syrup sounds like an AWESOME addition!!
Shaina says
These tarts look beautiful! The way the glaze just oozes all over the blueberries makes them look even more appealing than they already do
Alice // Hip Foodie Mom says
Susan,
love this post and story about your mother!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love that it’s no bake! How long should I chill the tart for? and did you make your own mini tart shells? if so, can you share the recipe? otherwise I’ll just use an all butter pastry crust recipe. . but was just curious. .
Christy @ Confessions of a Culinary Diva says
You are so fortunate to have your mom’s recipes and letters, what a great story and recipe to share for Mother’s Day! And these look delectable!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
What a gorgeous little Blueberry Tarts! Lovely!
Soni says
Such a lovely tribute to your Mom! She sounds like an amazing woman.This dessert has my name written all over it 🙂 I love how easy it is to make and since I also love blueberries I’m surely going to be making it 🙂 Happy Mother’s Day!
Terra says
These are the prettiest tarts!!! I want this for dessert, I adore blueberries!!! Gorgeous, Hugs, Terra
Dionne Baldwin says
Thank you for sharing about your mom. I am picturing her measuring everything carefully and following each instruction exactly.
These tarts are beautiful and they look perfect!
Nancy@SpicieFoodie says
Such a lovely story and tarts. They look so delicious and perfect for any occasion. Thanks for sharing!
Oui, Chef says
Delightful story, and awesome looking tarts. Mom would be proud!
Pakistani Food Recipes says
I love blueberries. My mom made the same recipe for me.
Marcia Lucia says
love recipe, love blueberry