Blueberry Tart With Ginger Pecan Crust

So I have to admit something. I’m a picking addict. There, I said it. I’ve come clean with berry stains on my hands. When it’s picking season, I pick and pick until the kids beg to go home and my husband threatens to leave me in the fields. Needless to say, we always have plenty of berries on hand throughout the year. We freeze them on cookie sheets and pack them up in vacuum sealed bags to create beautiful desserts like this in the middle of winter! If you don’t have a stockpile of blueberries in your freezer, go grab some at the supermarket. Frozen berries are so much less expensive than fresh when out of season, and they are picked & frozen at the peak of the season. Off-season berries in the stores travel great distances for you to have them, so don’t discount the frozen berries! You have a better chance of getting organic berries when they’re frozen too.

Healthy Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries are such amazing foods!!! In my part of the country, blueberry harvest is underway. Yeah!!!! I wait for the day the sign goes up on an organic farm near me. “Blueberries-open for picking!!!” Berries are great sources of Vitamin C (immune function), K (blood clotting), manganese, many antioxidants, as well as fiber. They have been shown to lower blood sugar as well as being an low-glycemic food, and are therefore GREAT for those with Type 2 Diabetes. Blueberries are a food that do the whole body good. When looking at their cardiovascular benefits, we also see how wonderful they are at reducing inflammation throughout the whole body. They have been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as reducing blood pressure. Other valuable research has shown blueberries to help with cognitive function (source). It’s no wonder that foods that help with blood flow and boost cardiovascular health, also help boost cognitive function. The easier it is for the brain to receive blood, the better it, and all tissues throughout the body, can function.

Organic vs. Conventional Blueberries?

As with all berries, organic is best. Berries are amongst the highest in pesticide residue. It’s also been shown that organically grown blueberries have significantly higher concentrations of total phenol antioxidants and total anthocyanin antioxidants than conventionally grown blueberries,, as well as significantly higher total antioxidant capacity (source). Why should you care? Antioxidants are what help prevent free radicals in your body from forming, and help to prevent disease, factors of aging, as well as many forms of cancer.

Healthy Blueberry Topping or Pie Filling

This healthy blueberry pie filling is also awesome on top of pancakes or oatmeal. A little dessert with your breakfast? No need to feel guilty! It’s packed with anti-oxidants!!!  This dessert is great for a do-ahead party idea too. You can make the filling a week ahead of time (or more if you freeze it). The crust can be made a day in advance, and assembled the day you wish to serve it. Don’t fill the crust too soon, as it tends to get soggy if topped for too long.

Other Ways To Use Blueberries?

1) Maple Blueberry Jam or a blueberry compote. Great as a topping for desserts or breakfasts! My jam is made with much less sugar than traditional jam. I use a type of Pectin called, Pomona’s Pectin that allows for little to no sugar, unlike conventional pectin. It’s also not fake tasting like a lot of no-sugar Pectin. I love it! More info in the recipe link.

2) Freeze them for adding to waffles, pancakes, and smoothies! They freeze amazingly well, and it has been shown that their health benefits don’t diminish with freezing. We pick most fruits in season around where we live, tossing the extras in the freezer.

3) Add to salads-great in a massaged kale salad. Simply add some fresh berries and instant yum!!!

Ingredients:

Blueberry Filling:

• 1/2 cup date paste**
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 7 cups blueberries-fresh or frozen (we used fresh)
• 3 tbsp arrowroot OR 3 tbsp corn starch (see directions when to add, arrowroot doesn’t like prolonged heat, while corn starch needs it)
• *Garnish: 3 mint leaves
  

**To make date paste: Soak dates in hot water, drain, add to blender, adding just enough water to puree them, you can have date paste as a replacement for traditional sugars. Make a bunch, what you don’t use can be frozen. Date paste doesn’t freeze solid.

Crust:

• 2 cups pecans
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp crystallized ginger
• 3 tbsp date paste/coconut sugar/raw sugar/or maple syrup (if using a dry sugar, you might want to add 1 tbsp maple syrup if dough looks dry)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• *optional-1 tsp ginger (use if you’d like an added zing)
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Whisk sugar, arrowroot/cornstarch if using, salt, water, lemon juice, add 4 cups berries, and mash
2. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, add arrowroot (if using)
3. Allow to thicken and then add in additional 4 cups of berries. Remove from heat and chill. Can be made 3-5 days ahead or frozen.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Mix crust ingredients in a food processor. Blend until mixture comes together in a ball (few minutes).
5. Push mixture into a tart shell using hands. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden
6. When ready to serve, pour into berry mixture into crust. Chill for a few hours before serving. Can be decorated with a few mint leaves.
   
7. Serve with fresh fruit. Best filled right before serving, as the crust can get soggy if it sits for too long.

Nutritional Benefits:

• Packed with Vitamin C
• High in fiber
• No refined sugars
• No gluten, oil, or animal products-decreases inflammation in the body

Blueberry Tart With Ginger Pecan Crust

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

32 mins

 

Blueberry Tart With Ginger Pecan Crust-made with no added oils or refined sugars! Filling makes an awesome breakfast topping too!

Author: www.gardenfreshfoodie.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Blueberry Filling:
• ½ cup date paste**
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 7 cups blueberries-fresh or frozen (we used fresh)
• 3 tbsp arrowroot OR 3 tbsp corn starch (see directions when to add, arrowroot doesn't like prolonged heat, while corn starch needs it)
• *Garnish: 3 mint leaves
• **To make date paste:
• Soak dates in hot water, drain, add to blender, adding just enough water to puree them, you can have date paste as a replacement for traditional sugars. Make a bunch, what you don't use can be frozen. Date paste doesn't freeze solid.
• Crust:
• 2 cups pecans
• ½ cup oat flour
• 1½ tbsp crystallized ginger
• *optional-1 tsp ginger (use if you'd like an added zing)
• 3 tbsp date paste/coconut sugar/or raw sugar/or maple syrup (if using a dry sugar, you might want to add 1 tbsp maple syrup if dough looks dry)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Whisk sugar, arrowroot/cornstarch if using, salt, water, lemon juice, add 4 cups berries, and mash
2. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, add arrowroot (if using)
3. Allow to thicken and then add in additional 4 cups of berries. Remove from heat and chill. Can be made 3-5 days ahead or frozen.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Mix crust ingredients in a food processor. Blend until mixture comes together in a ball (few minutes)
5. Push mixture into a tart shell using hands. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden
6. When ready to serve, pour into berry mixture into crust. Chill for a few hours before serving. Can be decorated with a few mint leaves.

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