This beautiful bake is the culinary find of the most fantastic week skiing in Meribel, France. Blueberry tart, or tarte aux myrtilles as it is known in the French Alps, is a local favourite. These wild blueberries are found in the mountains, and whilst Waitrose didn’t stock quite the same calibre, this tart will still blow your socks off.

I love skiing. Or at least, I love it now. Years of doggedly pushing through tears and terror on the mountains to keep up with my family and Tim have finally paid off. No more screaming my way down the ‘misery run’ for me! Two years ago I had a breakthrough, last year I was keeping up, and this year I felt like I was flying! It is such a wonderful feeling to throw yourself over the edge of the piste and not worry about what is to come as you know you can tackle it. While I am no alpine Goddess just yet, I was rather pleased I could run with the pack this year. I even went off-piste with Tim, I even relished it, whizzing down through powdery, puffy fluff, and ducking and diving through winter wonderland forests.

All that tomfoolery builds up rather a healthy appetite. The snowcapped eateries dotted around the mountain are a welcome sight after a few hours on the slopes, and inside are all sorts of lovely treats. Much like my hot chocolate recipe of last week, the chocolat chaud here are rich, thick and so ridiculously chocolately. Fancy something to take the edge off the fear? Vin chaud is another regular favourite; warming, slightly spiced, and makes you a slightly better skier.

BUT…the sweet stuff here is something else. At the top of the Rhodos lift in Meribel, is a wonderful restaurant serving the most delectable of tarts. Tarte aux myrtilles was devoured by all in our party, and then some more. The creamy creme patissiere, the buttery shortcrust pastry, the sweet yet slightly tart blueberries all come together in one, delicious mouthful. In this tart, the blueberries coloured the creme patissiere the most vivid purple, which is also a feast for the eyes.

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