I'd like to say that the sun is the sole reason for my hiatus. That's mostly true, although laziness, exhaustion, and vacation have also been factors in my inability to bake things.

But I'm back for another season — literally. Summer has essentially settled in and despite higher levels of vitamin D, my outlook isn't really any less grim. Though, I'm also avoiding the purchase of an air conditioner at all costs, so turning on the oven isn't really an option...

We'll see how this plays out.

Blackberry + Orange Tart

For the shell:

1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rye flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped pecans

For the filling:

3 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed
2 tbsp cornstarch
grated zest of 1 small orange
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tbsp brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in the flours (note: you can also use all-purpose flour in place of the others to simplify the recipe, I just happened to have these on hand), along with the oats and nuts until well combined. Press mixture into a 9-inch tart pan and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In your mixing bowl, combine the mixed berries, cornstarch, sugar, zest, and juice and mix well, bruising the berries slightly in the process. Set mixture aside.

Remove tart shell from the freezer and press a piece of tinfoil firmly into the bottom of the shell. Bake for 7 minutes, remove the tinfoil, and return to the oven for another 8 minutes. Allow the shell to cool, pressing the bottom (which will have bubbled up) back into the pan.

Once the shell has cooled slightly, place it on top of a baking sheet. Pour the berry mixture into the shell, spread the berries evenly, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow it to cool completely, then serve with vanilla ice cream (optional: garnish with curled orange peel).