Gooey, Messy Blueberry Tarts

I'm home from the big city. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of people, lots of cars!!! (I was the driver), lots of clothes shopping. I'm not really a fashionista so I only got 3 shirts. For work. On clearance. Score! I don't really need to travel to T.O. to shop for clothes since my very stylish daily wardrobe includes a cute t-shirt, jeans, girly flip-flops/sneakers, and pigtails.

Even though we didn't make it to any of the furniture/decor stores on my usual rounds (insert violent sobbing here) I did get to spend quality time with the girls walking down the streets of Toronto like we were the gang from Sex and the City. It was a blast.

Even though I love visiting big, bustling cities by the end of every trip I just long to be back at home with my little family doing cozy, homey things.

So today was the perfect day to lounge around and you know, bake something. For the last few weeks I had been wanting to bake some blueberry tarts. So I did.

Except for some reason whenever I start baking my mind starts playing tricks on me - telling me that I'm this pro baker whose confections could one day end up on http://www.marthastewart.com/.

But then I always seem to forget something critical to the baking process. Like today, when I forgot to grease the pan and then my poor little tarts got all busted and smushy when I tried to take them out of the pan. At least busted, mushed up blueberry tarts taste the same as pretty blueberry tarts.

These simple tarts are delish. I adapted a recipe from http://www.agoodappetite.blogspot.com/. Instead of their pastry recipe I use my grandmother's recipe which has been handed down in our family for five generations can be found on the back of the Tenderflake box. Also, I doubled the filling on the original recipe in order to fill up 12 tart shells.

Here is my version:

Gooey, Messy Blueberry Tarts (I also added the Gooey, Messy part to the title)

Pastry:

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
l lb Tenderflake lard
1 tbsp vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
water

Mix together flour and salt. Cut in Tenderflake lard with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles course oatmeal. In a one cup measure, combine vinegar and egg and add cold water to make one cup. Gradually stir liquid into flour/lard mixture. Gather into a ball. Divide into portions and wrap unused portions in for refrigerator or freezer. Roll dough onto floured surface. Cut out 12 tart shells using a 4'' round cookie cutter. Fold tart shells into greased cupcake/muffin tin.

Filling:

2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix the berries, sugar, cinnamon, & cornstarch together. Spoon mixture evenly into tart shells. Cut the butter into small pieces & dot the top of the tarts. Refrigerate tarts for 15-20 minutes while the oven is preheating. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Allow the tarts to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pans.

Tip 1: Don't forget to grease the pan or else you will have to smash the tarts to bits in order to get them out. Not so pretty.

Tip 2: Don't forget to refrigerate the tarts before throwing them in the oven (because you are in a rush to do something important eat the tarts) or else your pastry will brown too fast.

Tip 3: Don't eat a whole bunch of gooey, messy tarts instead of a healthy lunch because then you will have a belly-ache!