In VisionTV’s new series Bake and Make Up, a once inseparable twosome – childhood friends, past loves, long-lost family – are given the chance to reunite and rekindle their relationship through baking. By bringing two people together to create a delicious and personally meaningful dessert, they can find their way back to each other once again.

Jill and Margarita met in middle school. Their free-spirited forays into travel, foreign languages, romantic escapades and fashion led to a glamorous 60-year shared history. Separated by moves, husbands, secret nuptials, heart-breaking losses and new families, the once up for anything ‘Trouble Twins’ now struggle to connect and find common ground. Over beautiful Blueberry Custard Tarts, they revisit their wild past to find where the turbulence began, so they can return to smooth travels together.

Find their delicious recipe for Blueberry Custard Tarts below!

Blueberry Custard Tarts

Ingredients:

Pastry

1 cup of unsalted butter

¾ cup of superfine sugar

4 large egg yolks

4 tbsp of water, cold

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup of cornstarch

¾ tsp of salt

Lemon Custard

1 cup milk

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

Cinnamon stick, approximately 2” piece

Zest of 1 lemon

½ tsp of powdered gelatin

2 tablespoons of water

6 large egg yolks

1 cup of superfine sugar

¾ cup blueberry jam

1 cup apricot glaze

2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions:

1. To make the pastry, in a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is pale. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of cold water. Beat gradually into the butter mixture.
2. Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch and salt and sift into the butter mixture. Mix slowly until just combined. Do not over mix.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Bring together gently into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
4. To make the lemon custard, combine the milk and cream in a large pan.
5. Add the cinnamon stick and lemon zest, grating the zest directly over the pan to catch the lemon oil.
6. Bring mixture to a simmer, remove from heat, and cover pan. Set aside to infuse for up to 30 minutes.
7. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until mixture is pale and thick.
8. To bloom the gelatin, empty the gelatin packet into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water to cover the gelatin and let sit for at least 5 minutes to absorb.
9. Over low heat, reheat the infused cream mixture.
10. While whisking, slowly pour infused cream mixture into the egg and sugar mixture to temper the eggs.
11. Return entire contents of the bowl to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the custard starts to thicken. When mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove from heat.
12. Add the bloomed gelatin to the custard, stirring to dissolve.
13. Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a plastic container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Chill until needed.
14. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
15. Dust countertop with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll chilled pastry to 2–3mm thickness. Cut dough into rounds using cutters.
16. Transfer pastry rounds to the tart tin, pressing pastry gently into the molds.
17. Press together dough scraps and roll them out again, repeating the process until all tart molds are filled.
18. Pierce the bottom of the tarts with a fork. Lightly press parchment squares into the tarts and fill with baking beans.
19. Transfer the tarts to the oven to bake for 10 minutes, until the pastry starts to dry out.
20. While tarts are baking, remove custard from the fridge and whisk until smooth. Transfer custard to the piping bag fitted with a 1cm tip.
21. Using oven mitts, remove tart tins from the oven and remove baking beans and parchment.
22. Return tarts to the oven to bake for an additional 7 to 9 minutes, until the pastry is light golden brown.
23. Remove tarts from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
24. Once tart shells have cooled, spread 2 tsps of blueberry jam into each tart shell.
25. Pipe custard on top of the jam to fill the shells. Smooth custard using a spoon and place tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
26. In a small pot, warm apricot glaze over low heat until liquid.  Keep warm until ready to use.
27. Remove set tarts from the fridge and remove from the pan.
28.  Top each tart with a layer of fresh blueberries.
29. Using a pastry brush, brush tarts with the warm apricot glaze.
30. Allow the glaze to set for at least 15 minutes before serving.
31. Enjoy!