BlackBerry Caramel Tart

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Step 1

Preheat the oven and toast the almond flour: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almond flour in an even layer on a small rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring with a heatproof spatula once or twice, until the almond flour is fragrant and golden brown, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer the almond flour to the bowl of a food processor and let cool. (Turn the oven off.)

Step 2

Make the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the food processor, then pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and process in long pulses until the pieces of butter are no larger than a pea, about 10 pulses. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, vanilla, and 4 teaspoons cold water with a fork until smooth. Remove the food processor lid and drizzle all of the yolk mixture evenly over the flour mixture (use a flexible spatula to scrape out every last drop). Replace the lid and process in long pulses until a ball of dough forms around the blade and no floury spots remain, about 10 pulses. Scrape the dough out of the food processor and onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Pat the dough into a ½-inch-thick disk, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

Step 3

Press the dough into the pan: 3[1] Unwrap the chilled dough and use a knife or bench scraper to cut it in half, then cut one half into 6 strips. [2] Roll the strips beneath your palms on the work surface to form ropes that are about ½ inch thick, then arrange the ropes around the inside perimeter of the tart or springform pan, pressing into place and overlapping slightly so there are no gaps. (3] Using a lightly floured, straight-sided 1-cup dry measure, press the dough against the sides in an even thickness all the way around. If using a tart pan, press until the dough extends slightly above the edge of the pan. (4] Using lightly floured hands, press the other half of the dough into and across the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Where the bottom meets the sides, smooth and press the dough together to seal. [5] For an extra-smooth surface or if you notice any unevenness, use the floured measuring cup to flatten the bottom.

Step 4

Chill the crust: Freeze the lined pan until the dough is completely hardened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5

Preheat the oven: While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 6

Smooth the edge and line with foil: Remove the pan from the freezer. [6] If using a tart pan, hold a paring knife parallel to the work surface and slice horizontally along the rim of the pan, removing excess dough and creating a smooth edge flush with the top of the pan. Reserve the scraps of raw dough to patch any cracks in the crust after baking. If using a springform pan, you can leave the edge unfinished or trim around it with a paring knife to create a smooth edge with an even height. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and prick the bottom all over with the tines of a fork. Press a layer of foil directly onto the surface of the dough and up the sides, especially working it into the space where the bottom and sides meet (this will help prevent the dough from slumping as it bakes—no dried beans or pie weights needed —a tip I picked up from pastry legend Lindsey Shere).

Step 7

Bake the foil-lined crust: Bake the tart crust until the edge is golden brown (peek under the foil to check), 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and carefully peel off the foil.

Step 8

To par- or fully bake the crust: Return the pan to the oven and bake until the crust is golden all over, another 15 to 20 minutes for a parbaked crust, or until deep golden brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes longer, for a fully baked crust. Set the crust aside to cool.

Step 9

Patch any cracks and cool: Use the reserved dough scraps to patch any cracks. Let cool completely.

Step 10

Make the blackberry caramel: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water (1.5 oz / 43g). Cook over medium heat, stirring with a heatproof spatula until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and stop stirring. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush as needed to dissolve any sugar crystals.

Step 11

Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the syrup turns a medium amber color, 6 to 8 minutes (I normally advise cooking caramel to a deep, dark amber, but you actually want to stop short of this point; a lighter caramel will allow the flavor of the berries to shine). & Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stream in the heavy cream, stirring with a heatproof spatula until smooth (take care because the mixture will sputter). Stir in the vanilla, salt, and 6 ounces of blackberries (170g / about 1¼ cups). Return the saucepan to medium heat and bring to a lively simmer. Cook, stirring often and mashing the berries against the side of the saucepan until they're broken down and the mixture is slightly thick-ened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 12

Arrange the berries: Place the tart pan on a serving plate and arrange the remaining 12 ounces whole blackberries (340g / about 2¼ cups) inside the tart crust, spacing them evenly. Set aside.

Step 13

Soften the gelatin: Place 2 tablespoons cold water (1 oz / 28g) in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top (don't stir). Set aside to allow the gelatin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Step 14

Strain the caramel: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl and scrape in the caramel (reserve the saucepan—you'll use it again in a minute). Press on the solids in the sieve with the spatula to extract as much juice and caramel as possible (discard the solids).

Step 15

Melt the gelatin: Scrape the softened gelatin mixture, which by this point will have solidified and turned translucent, into the same saucepan you used for the caramel and place the pan back over low heat. Warm the pan, swirling until the mixture is completely clear and liquified and you see no traces of small granules. It's super important to make sure the gelatin is fully melted, otherwise it won't set the tart, so take your time and pay close attention. 3 At the same time, don't let the mixture come to a boil, as this could destroy the setting power of the gelatin!

Step 16

Add the gelatin and cool down the filling: Stir the melted gelatin into the strained caramel and mix thoroughly. Fill a larger bowl one-third full with ice water and set the bowl of caramel inside.

Step 17

Stir constantly, scraping the sides of the bowl, until the caramel is thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 3 minutes.

Step 18

Fill the tart and chill: Carefully and slowly pour the caramel into the crust, pouring in several places around the blackberries and allowing the caramel to settle and fill in the gaps. Use all the caramel, which should fill the tart and submerge the blackberries about halfway. Refrigerate the tart until the caramel is completely set, at least 2 hours. If chilling longer than 2 hours, cover with plastic wrap. Remove the tart from the ring and serve.