Brie and Blueberry Tart with Pecan Crumble

As a follow up to the previous post for Maple and White Wine Butter Basted Chicken Breasts this post will explore the tart that I served with the chicken. The tart was made pretty much from leftovers, which is my kind of recipe! It always feels good to empty out little containers of bits and pieces, and come up with something yummy. In fact, my husband is still talking about how good the tart was.

I had a small piece of Roast Garlic Shortbread Quiche Crust in the freezer from another tart I had made in a smaller tart shell. This became the base for my tart.

A little bit of blueberry jam left from the Buttermilk Thumbprint Scones with Blueberry Jam as well as some caramelized onion from a pizza meal joined the fresh piece of Brie to top the crust.

The container of pecan crumble in the freezer, extra from a batch of Raspberry Rhubarb Muffins became a sweet, crunchy and crumbly topping for the whole tart.

All in all, I used up four ingredients that were either going to stay in the freezer, or end up in the garbage, and that in itself is a good feeling. The fact that they all worked so well together brings it to a whole new level. Never discount leftover bits and pieces!

Start off by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, and heating the oven to 400F.

Roll the roasted garlic pastry out to a thickness of approximately 1/4". Cut an 8" circle and place onto the prepared baking sheet.

Cut the trimmings into strips about 1/2 " wide. Wet the edges of the circle and place the strips around the edge, pressing down with a fork to decorate and stick the border on.

Prick the bottom of the tart shell with a fork, and bake at 400F for 10 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 350F and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes, until the pastry is set and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Spread the bottom of the cooled crust with:

2 tablespoons blueberry jam (see the post

Buttermilk Thumbprint Scones with Blueberry Jam for the recipe)

Spread a layer of caramelized onion over the top of the jam. I used the equivalent of:

1 small onion, caramelized with olive oil

Place a layer of sliced brie over the onions.

Make the pecan crumble by combining the following until you have moist clumps:

1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
3 ounces melted butter

This recipe will make too much, but freezes well. I was using the last of a batch that I had made for

Raspberry Rhubarb Muffins. The extra had been stored in my freezer.

Sprinkle the pecan crumble over the brie.

Bake at 350F until the brie has melted, the jam is bubbling and the crumble is crisp and golden, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Allow the tart to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. I served it with a mixed green salad and Maple and White Wine Butter Basted Chicken Breasts.

• Any pastry can be used for the crust, homemade or purchased. Try the nut crust from the post
  Fig, Brie and Prosciutto Crostata with a Pecan Crust. Purchased puff pastry can be used, as can a plain purchased pie crust.
  
  

  Purchased or homemade jam can be used, most fruits work well with brie, onions and pecan. Some suggestions include peach, apricot, berry or fig. Chutney can be used instead of jam. This will add tanginess and spiciness, as well as sweetness.

  Brie is a nice cheese to use for something like this, as it is creamy, melts while still maintaining its shape and has a mild flavour. Other cheeses such as Cambozola, goat cheese or bocconcini can also be used.

  If you have no crumble, and are short on time, sprinkle chopped nuts on top of the cheese and bake. 

  This tart can be served for lunch; it can also be served at room temperature so is great for a picnic or work lunch.