By The Pound

I do it every time. I can't help it. I go to Costco and I stock up on 3-pound containers of blueberries for $5.99. I love blueberries and it only seems logical to buy that many at that price. I even do it at the regular grocery store. If a pint of blueberries is $1.99, why not buy a 2-pound clam shell of them for $4.99? It only makes sense, right? Until you get home and you actually have to use them!

I usually keep the blueberries in the fridge and I'll bake with them, add them to cereal or smoothies, or throw them in pancake batter. Then a couple weeks go by and they get shoved to the back of the refrigerator and I forget about them. By the time that happens, I go into panic mode and I fear the blueberries are going to whither and wrinkle and turn to mush so I throw them into the freezer (still in the clam shell) where they'll last for the next few months or until I need to add them to the next recipe.

Sometimes I forget I have blueberries in the freezer and I buy more to stock my fridge. They start getting wrinkly and I panic to use them up- it's a vicious cycle, I'm telling you! That's where this recipe came into play. This tart consists of a thick buttery shortbread crust and it's topped with a perfectly simple custard and 3 cups of berries. I used blueberries, but the original recipe calls for raspberries- a mixture of both would be nice. The custard is creamy, the crust is firm but when the two meet up it's the slightest bit chewy- in a good way. It's sweet and tart and a taste of summer in every bite. If you have ever multiplying berries then give this recipe a try.

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Tart adapted from Rachael Ray via A Feast For The Eyes

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• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (1 pound)

Shortbread Crust:

• 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Lemon Custard:

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup juice)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Drain the blueberries in a strainer set over a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°.

For the shortbread crust: Using your fingers, combine the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 11/2 cups of the flour and blend together until coarse crumbs form (I used a pastry blender to incorporate the ingredients, but a food processor works well too). Pour the mixture into an ungreased nonstick 9-inch springform or cake pan and press down evenly to form a crust. Bake the shortbread crust until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.

Remove the shortbread from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°. Scatter the drained blueberries evenly over the baked shortbread.

For the lemon custard: Beat the eggs with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in the lemon zest, the lemon juice and a 1/4 cup of flour. Pour the lemon cream over the raspberries.

Bake the tart until the custard is set, about 30 minutes (My tart took about 50 minutes for the custard to set in the middle). Let cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.

NOTE: The top of the custard doesn't brown much so it's hard to tell if it's done, but it shouldn't be wet and liquidy. The custard is done when it firms up in the center. This may take longer than 30 minutes.