Bilberry 'Mucky Mouth' Tart
Bilberry 'Mucky Mouth' Tart is a traditional British recipe for a classic deep pie of bilberries and apples in a rich shortcrust base that's flavoured with mint. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Bilberry 'Mucky Mouth' Tart.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
55 minutes
Total Time:
75 minutes
Serves:
8
Rating: 
Tags : Wild FoodBaking RecipesCake RecipesBritish Recipes
This is a traditional deep English bilberry and apple tart that gets its name from the staining effect of the bilberries that make the inside of the whole mouth turn purple.
Ingredients:
350g
Rich Shortcrust Pastry
2 large dessert apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
225g caster sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
675g
bilberries
To Garnish:
115g icing sugar, sifted
a few mint leaves to garnish
Method:
Prepare the Rich Shortcrust Pastry according to the recipe (350g of pastry means you should start with 350g of flour and adjust all quantities accordingly). Take 240g of the pastry and roll out out on a lightly-floured work surface until large enough to line the base and sides of a deep 23cm diameter tart tin. Fill with greaseproof (waxed) paper and baking beans then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190°C and bake blind for about 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and set aside to cool.
Prepare the apples then place in a bowl and sprinkle with half the caster sugar and the lemon juice. Toss to mix then set aside for 20 minutes. After this time use a slotted spoon to transfer the apples to the prepared pastry case. Now mix together the mint and the bilberries before pouring over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top followed from any juices remaining in the apple bowl.
Place an upturned china eggcup (or a dough riser) in the centre of the tart then roll out the remaining pastry and cover the pie, sealing the edges by crimping with a fork or with your thumb and forefinger. Form a slit in the centre to make a steam hole then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190°C and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the apple slices are soft and the pastry is a pale golden brown. Take out of the oven and set aside to cool.
Place the icing sugar in a bowl then slowly beat in a few tablespoons of very hot water, adding more water as necessary until you have a mixture that's sufficiently to be drizzled. Now drizzle the sugar mix over the pastry crust in random patterns and decorate with a few fresh mint leaves.
This cake can be served either warm or at room temperature and goes particularly well with vanilla ice cream or vanilla custard.