< so many uses >

Remember my chia jam? Well, I did more than put it on bread or pancakes or waffles. I put it in a tart. With lightly sweetened créme fraiche. In a crumbly and crisp and sandy and slightly sweet cornmeal browned butter tart crust. And it was fabulous. My family and I accidentally ate the entire thing for second breakfast. Totally worth it.

Usually I feel really wordy, but I'm not sure I have much else to say. You know you want to try it. And by the way, this took me from start to finish, less than an hour. The crust is unbelievably easy, thanks to no chilling or rolling (just be careful when pressing in the crust to avoid cracking), and I'm embarrassed giving you a "recipe" for the filling because it's really something anyone could figure out. But the combination is sublime. So got for it. Make it for second breakfast. Or elevenses.

Blackberry jam and créme fraiche tart in a cornmeal crust

adapted from Paule Caillat's brown butter tart crust

makes 1 9-inch tart

for the crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt
5 ounces unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal (preferably stone ground)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the filling:
1/2 cup créme fraiche
1 tablespoon raw honey*
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup*
1/3 cup blackberry chia jam or your favorite berry jam (blackberry somehow goes especially well with the cornmeal crust, but honestly any jam will be good on this)
*use your favorite sweetener for this. And do it more to taste. I liked it very lightly sweetened, I like the tang of the créme fraiche to shine through. But it's really up to you when you eat it. Just know if you're coming to my house for lunch, it'll be tangy.

1. Preheat the oven to 410°F. In a 4-cup or larger oven-proof bowl, combine the butter, coconut oil, water, salt, and sugar. Place in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and the butter begins to brown. Remove the bowl from the oven and add the flour, cornmeal, and vanilla. Stir vigorously until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl with ease. If necessary, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
2. Once the dough is cool enough to touch, form a slight disc shape and place it in the middle of your 8.5 or 9 inch tart pan. (Don't use a nonstick tart pan) Using your fingers, gently press the dough evenly throughout the pan. Use the bottom and sides of a measuring cup to continue pressing and smooth out the shape. You can use excess to piece together thin or cracking parts, but try to avoid cracks and piecing if you can, for appearance.
3. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet, prick the base evenly with a fork, and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and shows very fine cracks. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, mix together the créme fraiche, honey, and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Once the tart shell has cooled completely, carefully spread the sweetened créme fraiche evenly on the bottom of the crust. Then either with a knife or the back of a spoon, spread the jam over the créme fraiche mixture. If it's too soft, chill the filled crust before adding the jam. I left a slight border around the jam to show the layers. Serve within a few hours to avoid a soggy crust. Enjoy!